By Johnathan Jones August 25, 2026 at 1:52pm
The family of a 22-year-old man is suing Southern California’s Six Flags Magic Mountain after he died from a fatal brain injury following a ride on a controversial roller coaster.
Christopher Hawley, a San Diego State University graduate, rode the X2 ride with his younger brother and a cousin on June 23, 2022, at the Valencia theme park, according to KTTV-TV, a Fox station in Los Angeles.
According to his family and multiple reports, Hawley appeared unwell after leaving the ride. His face was described as noticeably red before he suddenly collapsed, KTTV reported.
His brother, Alex Hawley, later said a jolt at the end of the ride caused riders’ heads to swing backward into their headrests. The family later learned Christopher Hawley had suffered a catastrophic brain injury.
Emergency responders took Hawley to a nearby hospital where he died from his injuries the following day.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner ruled his death an accident caused by blunt head trauma sustained in a park ride accident, KTTV reported.
Do you like roller coasters?
Treating surgeons compared the severity of Hawley’s internal brain injuries to “shaken baby syndrome,” Christopher Hawley’s father, William Hawley, told the station.
“That the ride hit his head so hard that it had basically ruptured his brain,” William Hawley said.
Hawley’s mother recalled hearing that her son had collapsed and was unresponsive.
“We went from a family of four to a family of three in an instant,” she told KTTV. “It’s devastating. It is a piece of us that is gone forever.”
The family’s lawsuit alleges that a defective ride design and a failure to warn the public about the dangers of the attraction resulted in the death.
The lawsuit names Magic Mountain LLC, Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the roller coaster maker and some individual park employees as defendants. A civil jury trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 8.
X2 is also under scrutiny after a separate incident last month involving another rider. On July 5, Los Angeles County Fire Department crews responded to Six Flags Magic Mountain after receiving a report of an unconscious person, according to an Aug. 13 KTLA report.
The incident was reportedly handled by fire crews and the park’s medical staff.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has opened an inspection into the reported incident. The agency said an inspection of the ride is ongoing and declined to comment further, according to the KTLA report.
X2 has remained closed since the July incident.
The ride was originally opened as “X” in 2002 and returned as “X2” in 2008 after some upgrades.
In a video posted on YouTube five years ago, the ride is described as “extremely intense.”
The coaster reaches speeds of up to 76 mph on a 3,600-foot track.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
Johnathan Jones is a journalist, novelist, and media analyst with experience as a reporter, editor, and producer across radio, television, and digital platforms. Follow him on X: @misterjkjones
