A family is suing Six Flags Magic Mountain over the death of their 22-year-old son, Christopher Hawley, who suffered a traumatic brain injury on the X2 ride in June 2022. The lawsuit claims that the ride’s unique design and functionality issues led to the incident.
According to the lawsuit, X2 features 360-degree spins and “head-first face down drops,” which caused it to shut down multiple times for design changes between 2001 and 2014. The ride opened in January 2002 but was plagued by problems that cost Six Flags over $55 million.
The Hawley family alleges that the ride’s general manager, Tim Burkhart, oversaw construction with an expanded scope of the original specifications, leading to a rougher-than-intended experience for riders. In June 2022, Christopher Hawley, his younger brother, and cousin went on X2, which allegedly “jerked its riders around like rag dolls” before abruptly stopping.
After exiting the ride, Hawley collapsed and was taken to hospital, where he suffered a catastrophic brain injury that led to his death. The lawsuit claims that staff and park guests had previously complained about the ride’s issues, but were ignored.
Six Flags Magic Mountain has not commented on the allegations, with one of its defendants denying the claims in a 13-page response filed in April 2024. However, the Hawley family is seeking justice for their son’s tragic death.
Source: https://signalscv.com/2025/03/six-flags-sued-over-death-on-x2