College Graduate Dies After Brutal Roller Coaster Ride — Family Lawsuit Reveals SHOCKING Details

Liberty Check

• A 22-year-old college grad died from blunt-force head trauma after riding Six Flags’ X2 roller coaster in 2022 — his family is now suing for defective design and failure to warn the public
• Witnesses described the ride as violently jerking passengers around, with the victim’s injuries compared to shaken baby syndrome by a surgeon
• The X2 attraction remains closed after another rider was found unconscious in July 2026, raising serious questions about park safety and accountability

A California family has filed a lawsuit against Six Flags Magic Mountain, accusing the theme park of operating a defectively designed roller coaster that claimed the life of their 22-year-old son in a tragic 2022 incident.

Christopher Hawley, a recent San Diego State University graduate, visited the Los Angeles County theme park with his family during summer 2022. He collapsed shortly after riding the X2 roller coaster and died the following day from what officials ruled as accidental blunt-force head trauma.

The X2 attraction has since been involved in another serious incident. On July 5, 2026, a rider was found unconscious, prompting the ride to close for more than a month.

Christopher’s younger brother, Alex, described the ride as exceptionally violent and dangerous.

“It was very rough. It just jerked us. It just jerked us all around. It just jolted us all the way forward and then our heads just swung all the way back into the headrest.”

Immediately after exiting the attraction, Christopher appeared visibly ill. His face turned very red before he suddenly collapsed in front of his horrified family members.

Emergency responders rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he succumbed to his catastrophic injuries the next day.

The family’s lawsuit reveals disturbing medical findings. A surgeon who treated Christopher compared his injuries to shaken baby syndrome — a condition where violent, sudden forces cause the brain to move rapidly within the skull, resulting in swelling, bruising, and bleeding.

“The surgeon had said, he likened it to shaken baby syndrome, that the ride hit his head so hard that it had basically ruptured his brain,” Christopher’s father, William, told local media.

Six Flags declined to comment directly on the litigation but confirmed to local news that the X2 ride remains closed following the separate July 2026 incident involving an unconscious rider.

“The ride remains closed at this time. It has been closed since the evening of July 12th,” Six Flags said.

A jury trial involving Six Flags, the manufacturer of the X2 roller coaster, and park employees is scheduled to begin September 8. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants failed to adequately warn the public about the ride’s risks.

X2 has been advertised as one of the theme park’s most intense attractions and features seats that rotate 360 degrees. The question now is whether that intensity crosses the line from thrilling to deadly.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Americans deserve better.