Woman Reportedly in a Coma After Riding Six Flags Rollercoaster in California. Then It Happened Again, and Now Six Flags Has Shut the Ride Down

Six Flags Magic Mountain in California has shut down its X2 roller coaster after two women suffered life-threatening brain injuries within six days of riding the attraction, according to a recent CNN investigation. One of the women, 40-year-old Pamela Guillen of Hawaii, reportedly required emergency brain surgery after riding X2 on July 5, 2026.

Six days later, 25-year-old Los Angeles resident Naomi Greer-Wilkinson reportedly suffered a similar injury after riding the same roller coaster and remains in a coma. The Six Flags ride has remained closed since July 12, and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has opened an inspection into the July 5 incident, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Two Severe Injuries Occurred Within Six Days.

Guillen lost consciousness after riding X2 on July 5 and later underwent emergency surgery for a subdural hematoma and brain compression. Doctors also removed part of her skull to relieve pressure on her brain, according to the report.

Guillen later regained consciousness, but had to relearn basic skills, including walking and talking. Six days later, Greer-Wilkinson rode X2 with her siblings and also suffered a traumatic brain injury. She underwent emergency surgery and remains in a coma.

Doctors who treated the women wrote in an email obtained by CNN that, in their professional opinion, the injuries resulted from what treating neurosurgeons described as a ‘traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event.

The investigation highlighted that X2 remained open for six days after Guillen’s initial emergency, leaving the ride operational until Greer-Wilkinson’s subsequent injury forced its July 12 closure. This delay points to broader safety concerns: regulatory filings expose a two-decade history of more than 70 head and neck complaints and over a dozen hospitalizations linked to the attraction.

Biomechanics experts attribute these recurring trauma risks to X2’s rare 4D engineering, where seats independently spin 360 degrees, generating extreme multi-directional rotational forces that dramatically elevate the risk of brain injuries.

Previous Injuries and Deaths Have Drawn Scrutiny.

The two recent cases are not the first serious incidents associated with X2. CNN’s investigation reviewed medical records, court filings, depositions, and years of injury reports involving the attraction. The investigation found that other riders had reported serious head and neck injuries over the ride’s more than two-decade history.

In 2022, 22-year-old Christopher Hawley died after riding X2. His family’s wrongful death lawsuit alleged that the roller coaster violently jerked riders during the ride and caused him to suffer a fatal brain injury. The Los Angeles County medical examiner ruled his death an accident caused by blunt head trauma from what the report described as a “park ride accident,” according to FOX 11 Los Angeles.

Six Flags and ride-train supplier S&S Worldwide reached confidential settlements with Hawley’s family this week. Hilda Farias, 28, died after riding X2 in 2010. Medical experts at the time linked her death to a pre-existing brain abnormality that ruptured during the ride’s intense forces, according to the investigation.

What Happens Next?

Cal/OSHA spokesperson Denisse Gómez told the Los Angeles Times that the agency had opened an inspection into the reported July 5 incident but could not provide additional details because the inspection remains ongoing. A Six Flags spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that X2 remains closed. The company has not publicly addressed the specific allegations detailed in CNN’s investigation.

In May, Six Flags New England had their own rollercoaster issue when Superman the Ride suddenly stopped working mid-ride, forcing riders to evacuate down a steep section of track.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]