A California family has reportedly sued Six Flags Magic Mountain, alleging the X2 roller coaster had a defective design after their 22-year-old son suffered fatal head injuries following a ride on the attraction.
The incident occurred in the summer of 2022, when Christopher Hawley, a San Diego State University graduate, went to the Los Angeles County theme park with his family, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles. Hawley reportedly collapsed soon after riding X2 and died the next day.
The same roller coaster was later tied to a separate incident on July 5, 2026, when a rider was found unconscious, leading Six Flags to keep the attraction closed for more than a month, KTLA reported.
Christopher’s death was ruled accidental, with officials citing blunt-force head trauma sustained on the ride, which his family described to Fox 11 as unusually rough.
An aerial view shows roller coasters at Six Flags Magic Mountain, where Christopher Hawley, 22, reportedly suffered fatal injuries after riding X2. (Christopher Hawley/Facebook)
His younger brother, Alex, said the experience was violently rough, describing a ride that threw passengers around before finishing with a forceful jolt that slammed their heads back into the headrests.
“It was very rough. It just jerked us. It just jerked us all around,” Alex told the local station.
“It just jolted us all the way forward and then our heads just swung all the way back into the headrest.”
After Christopher stepped off the attraction, he reportedly appeared noticeably unwell, with his face turning very red before suddenly collapsing.
Emergency responders rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries the next day, Fox 11 reported.
The X2 ride, which allegedly caused Christopher Hawley to sustain fatal head trauma, features seats that rotate 360 degrees. (Christopher Hawley/Facebook)
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The family said a surgeon compared Hawley’s injuries to shaken baby syndrome, a condition in which violent and sudden forces cause the brain to move rapidly within the skull, potentially resulting in swelling, bruising and bleeding.
“The surgeon had said, he likened it to shaken baby syndrome, that the ride hit his head so hard that it had basically ruptured his brain,” Christopher’s father, William, told the local station.
Six Flags declined to comment directly on the litigation to News Outlet.
However, the amusement park told Fox 11 that the ride remains closed following the separate July 2026 incident involving the unconscious rider.
“The ride remains closed at this time. It has been closed since the evening of July 12th,” Six Flags said.
Christopher Hawley was a recent San Diego State University graduate when he died following a roller coaster ride. (Christopher Hawley/Facebook)
A jury trial involving Six Flags, the manufacturer of the X2 roller coaster and park employees is scheduled to begin Sept. 8, according to reports.
The lawsuit also alleges that the defendants failed to adequately warn the public about the ride’s risks, the local station said.
X2 has been advertised as one of the theme park’s most intense attractions and features seats that rotate 360 degrees.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner did not immediately respond to a request for comment from News Outlet.
