VALENCIA, Calif. (Gray News) — Two women suffered catastrophic brain injuries on a Six Flags roller coaster this summer, according to a new investigation from CNN.
The injuries reportedly occurred on the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.
X2 is known for its extreme thrills, featuring seats that rotate independently, flipping riders head over heels in unpredictable sequences. The ride is widely regarded as one of the most intense roller coasters in the world.
But according to CNN, in the span of less than a week this July, two riders suffered life-threatening brain hemorrhages that resulted in emergency surgery.
CNN reported that Hawaii resident Pamela Guillen, 40, was visiting the park with her family for her daughter’s 16th birthday when she boarded X2.
Guillen reportedly repeatedly struck her head against the headrest during the ride. She lost consciousness after getting off.
Surgeons were able to save her life. Guillen regained full consciousness about two weeks later, but she had to relearn how to walk and talk. She told CNN she is “very lucky to be alive.”
Six days later, 25-year-old Los Angeles resident Naomi Greer-Wilkinson rode X2 with her siblings when she allegedly suffered similar injuries.
Doctors were also able to save her life with emergency brain surgery. Greer-Wilkinson remains in a coma and on a ventilator.
In both cases, doctors believe the life-threatening injuries were caused by X2.
“In our professional opinion, the severe brain injuries requiring emergent neurosurgical attention were the result of a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride,” doctors wrote in an email obtained by CNN.
According to KTLA, X2 has remained closed since July. Six Flags did not give a reason for the closure.
Park officials have not publicly commented on the alleged injuries, only confirming that the ride remains closed.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating, telling KTLA that no further details are available at this time.
Ride linked to 2 previous deaths
In June 2022, Christopher Hawley, a 22-year-old recent college graduate, died hours after riding X2.
His brother and cousin, who were on the ride with Hawley, said they struck their heads repeatedly during the ride and were thrown around “like rag dolls.”
Hawley lost consciousness seconds after getting off the ride. He died about 10 hours later.
A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Hawley’s family said a CT scan showed he suffered a catastrophic subdural hematoma caused by the roller coaster.
Hawley’s father told KTTV that a surgeon likened Hawley’s injuries to “shaken baby syndrome,” saying that X2 “hit his head so hard that it had basically ruptured his brain.”
Just this week, the family reached a settlement with Six Flags Magic Mountain, according to KTTV. Further details about the settlement will remain confidential.
“We went from a family of four to a family of three in an instant,” Hawley’s mother told KTTV. “It’s devastating. It is a piece of us that is gone forever.”
Hawley was the second death linked to X2. In 2010, 28-year-old Hilda Farias died after riding the roller coaster. However, doctors believed an existing brain abnormality ruptured because of the intensity of the ride. Her family later settled a lawsuit for an undisclosed amount.
Copyright 2026 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.