Six Flags Magic Mountain has confirmed that its signature thrill ride, X2, remains closed following a deeply concerning CNN investigation that identified two riders who suffered severe brain injuries within six days of each other. The Valencia, California, park closed the coaster on the evening of July 12, and it currently appears on Six Flags' scheduled ride closures page with no reopening date listed.

Two Riders, Two Brain Injuries, Six Days Apart

A CNN investigation published August 27 identified the two riders as Pamela Guillen, 40, and Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25. Guillen rode X2 on July 5 while visiting Magic Mountain with her daughter. She was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where surgeons discovered an acute subdural hematoma with brain compression and operated to relieve pressure on her brain.

Six days later, Greer-Wilkinson rode X2 and collapsed after leaving the attraction. She was transported to the same hospital and underwent emergency brain surgery. As of CNN's reporting, she remained in a coma.

Three neurosurgeons who treated the two women told CNN that, in their professional opinion, the injuries resulted from "a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride." CNN described the hemorrhages as injuries doctors typically encounter after high-speed collisions or other violent events.

It is worth noting that this medical opinion does not establish that every X2 rider faces the same outcome, and there is no basis to suggest the coaster universally injures passengers. However, two severe cases occurring within days of one another have made the ongoing investigation especially significant for Magic Mountain guests.

What Six Flags Has Said — and What It Hasn't

Six Flags told CNN it closed X2 on the evening of July 12, nearly a day after Greer-Wilkinson's injury. The company has not publicly explained what specifically prompted the shutdown, telling CNN only that "the ride remains closed at this time." No reopening date has been announced, and the closure has not been confirmed as permanent.

California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health also told CNN that an inspection of the ride remains ongoing. The state's Amusement Ride and Tramway Unit oversees permanent amusement rides in California, and state regulations allow the Division to conduct inspections when it learns of a reportable accident or receives credible safety information. A ride determined to be unsafe during an inspection must remain closed until required corrections are completed and certified.

In previous litigation involving X2, Six Flags has defended the ride by pointing to ride warnings, regular testing, and its position that the forces experienced by a rider using the attraction as instructed are not sufficient to cause traumatic brain injury in a "normal" rider, according to CNN. The three neurosurgeons who treated Guillen and Greer-Wilkinson reached a different conclusion about their patients' injuries.

About X2: One of Magic Mountain's Most Intense Rides

X2 is one of Six Flags Magic Mountain's most recognizable attractions. According to Six Flags, the coaster features 360-degree rotating seats, head-first drops, flips, twists, and two "raven turns." The train drops 200 feet and reaches speeds of up to 76 mph.

The current CNN findings arrive only days after separate reporting on the 2022 death of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley following a ride on X2 and the resulting lawsuit. X2 also experienced an unrelated emergency earlier this summer when a brush fire burned beneath the coaster in June, scorching about half an acre before firefighters contained it. No injuries or structural damage were reported in that incident, and Magic Mountain remained open at the time.

An Eventful Year at Magic Mountain

X2's extended closure comes during a notably eventful year at the Valencia resort. An August power outage delayed the opening of both Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor Los Angeles, while inclement weather caused a full-day Magic Mountain closure in February. Those incidents are separate from the X2 investigation.

Six Flags notes that attraction availability can change without notice, making its app and scheduled closure page important tools for day-of planning. Anyone visiting Magic Mountain specifically to ride X2 should not assume it will be available until Six Flags removes it from the closure list or announces a reopening.

What Happens Next Is Still Unknown

As of now, there is no announced reopening date, no confirmed permanent closure, and no public finding from California regulators declaring the investigation complete. The central question facing the park — what, if anything, must change before X2 can carry guests again — remains unanswered. Until Six Flags or the state provides those answers, X2's future at Six Flags Magic Mountain is unresolved, and guests should treat the coaster as unavailable for the foreseeable future.