Overview
- The park shut the X2 4D roller coaster after two women lost consciousness on rides this summer and required emergency brain surgery, with one patient now relearning speech and walking and the other remaining in a coma.
- Treating neurosurgeons concluded the recent injuries were consistent with violent acceleration and braking forces that can cause traumatic brain hemorrhages when the head is violently jolted.
- A CNN review and court records link X2 to more than a dozen serious head and neck injuries and to two prior deaths since the ride opened in 2002, raising questions about repeated warnings that did not lead to a long-term shutdown.
- Six Flags has fought in court to keep first-aid and medical incident reports confidential while its attorneys argue the ride is safe for a normal rider when used as directed.
- Safety experts say existing industry limits may not account for real-world factors such as seat position and head movement, and regulators’ probe could trigger new tests or rules for 4D coasters and renewed scrutiny of the park’s past decisions.