Six Flags Magic Mountain exhibited a willful disregard for safety by operating an “unreasonably dangerous” roller coaster that was responsible for the tragic and preventable death of a young Orange County man, a lawsuit contends.
Anne and William Hawley alleged in a 2024 lawsuit that the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain caused their son Christopher’s fatal brain injury.
The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleges negligence, design defects and a failure to warn riders about the potential danger of the wing coaster at the Valencia amusement park.
The Hawleys, of Garden Grove, discussed the lawsuit and shared memories of Christopher on Tuesday, March 18 during a series of interviews with media outlets.
“We want to make sure that that ride isn’t going to kill somebody else,” William Hawley said during a video conference call. “They won’t explain to us what happened. They’ve essentially gone dark. The only way we’ve been able to contact them is through our attorney.”
Six Flags Magic Mountain officials declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Christopher Hawley died on June 24, 2022, a day after suffering a brain injury while riding X2 at Magic Mountain, according to the lawsuit.
“There’s just a void in our lives,” Alex Hawley said about his brother. “It’s really just not the same. He was just that light. He would walk in a room and just light up the whole place.”
The recent college graduate was 22 years old and in excellent health at the time of his death, according to his parents.
“He just graduated from San Diego State,” Anne Hawley said. “He was looking forward to beginning the next chapter. He wanted to be an actor. He got a theater arts degree.”
Christopher Hawley rode X2 with his younger brother, Alex, and his cousin, Kyle, on June 23, 2022.
The fourth dimension coaster features seats that rotate 360 degrees forward and backward as the ride reaches a top speed of 76 mph over a track layout with multiple inversions.
“As X2 approached its conclusion, the ride suddenly, abruptly and violently jolted to a halt, jarring decedent Christopher Hawley and the other two boys in their seats,” according to the lawsuit.
After exiting the ride, Christopher Hawley walked haltingly, held onto a handrail for support and mumbled that his head hurt, according to the lawsuit.
He knelt down, slumped to his side and lost consciousness, according to the lawsuit. Paramedics rushed him to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia where a CT scan showed he had suffered a catastrophic brain trauma, according to the lawsuit.
“This is not the first time someone has sustained a serious injury as a result of riding X2,” Ari Friedman, the family’s attorney, said in a statement. “X2 has been linked to previous incidents, where people received whiplash, head and leg injuries, and more, from the ride’s sudden shuddering and jolts.”
In failing to redesign the $55 million X2 — described as one of the most expensive coasters ever built — Six Flags put park profits over the safety of paying customers, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages to be determined at trial from Magic Mountain, Six Flags and ridemaker S&S Worldwide.
A trial date has been set for Oct. 13.
The Hawley family’s legal team anticipates requesting $10 million or more depending on the results of the ride inspection and the strength of the evidence in the case.
“The exact amount is just going to be a reflection of what our investigation finds during the course of litigation and how the evidence in the case at trial shapes the request,” Friedman said.