Roller Coaster of Death: Successive Cerebral Hemorrhage Incidents at U.S. Six Flags

Accidents and casualties involving roller coaster passengers continue to occur at Six Flags Magic Mountain, widely known as one of the scariest amusement parks in the world.

According to U.S. broadcaster CNN on the 27th (local time), two female passengers who boarded the "X2" roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, suffered cerebral hemorrhages and underwent emergency surgery one week apart last month.

First, Pamela Guillen, 40, underwent surgery for a severe subdural hematoma after riding the "X2," and she is still undergoing rehabilitation training to speak and walk as her language and physical abilities have not yet returned.

Six days later, Naomi Greer-Wilkins, 25, who rode the same ride, also lost consciousness and underwent emergency brain surgery.

Wilkins remains in a coma and is currently in the intensive care unit.

Neurosurgeons who treated Guillen and Wilkins pointed out that "the severe brain damage was the result of the impact caused by sudden deceleration and acceleration while riding the 'X2'."

The "X2" is a signature ride at Six Flags that runs at a maximum speed of 80 mph (128.7 km/h) over a span of about two minutes.

Unlike other roller coasters, it features seats that rotate 360 degrees.

Concerns over the safety of this ride are not new.

A review of court-submitted documents showed that the "X2" has been linked to about 10 cases of serious injury and hospitalization over the past 20 years.

Among them, two people ultimately lost their lives.

In 2022, Christopher Holley, 22, who boarded the ride with his cousins, repeatedly banged his head against the back of his seat during the ride and lost consciousness immediately after getting off.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but due to severe cerebral hemorrhage, he died in less than 10 hours.

The coroner determined the cause of death to be blunt head trauma caused by the ride.

Following this, California authorities ordered the suspension and inspection of the roller coaster, but maintenance staff reportedly secretly replaced one of the train wheels before the inspection, and authorities allowed it to resume operation just days later.

Prior to this, in 2010, Hilda Faria, 28, also died after riding the "X2."

At the time, medical staff determined that a part of her brain had ruptured due to the violent movements of the ride.

Injuries have also occurred repeatedly.

Selena O'Neill, 17, who rode the "X2" in 2014, suffered a seizure and was diagnosed at a hospital with a subdural hematoma, a pooling of blood on the surface of the brain. In 2020, Sheila Caterelous, 50, also felt dizzy after her head was violently struck while on the ride, went to the hospital, and was diagnosed with brain damage and multiple subdural hematomas after a five-day hospitalization.

Despite these continuous accidents, Six Flags has not suspended the operation of the "X2" and has instead promoted it as a flagship ride.

Six Flags suspended the roller coaster's operation only on the 12th of last month.

However, pointing out that there are warning signs stating that any ride can carry risks, the company emphasized that passengers rode it at their own risk.

The state government of California is currently conducting a safety-related investigation and has declined to comment on specific details.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.