Target: Bobby Park, Principal Safety Engineer of California Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Amusement Ride and Tramway Unit
Goal: Undertake thorough safety inspection of roller coaster possibly responsible for multiple brain injuries.
Amusement parks are supposed to be places for fun and unforgettable experiences. But for two women who recently visited California’s Six Flags Magic Mountain, the adventure turned to tragedy. Within weeks of each other, the women were admitted to the same hospital with reported emergency brain injuries. One of the women has fallen into a coma. Although they were strangers, they had one consequential recent experience in common: both had ridden the park’s high-octane X2 coaster, which features rotating seats and semi-vertical drops. And both fell ill immediately after the ride ended.
These instances are not the first time the coaster has fallen under scrutiny. At least 12 emergency visits – and two subsequent deaths – have been potentially linked to the ride. And dozens of head and neck injuries were apparently reported over a three-year span. While the ride has been closed since the latest incidents, park operators have defended themselves and the ride, and there seems to be no indication that the closure will be permanent or that any further mitigation measures will be taken. In some of the cases, park officials have even seemingly blamed the victims.
The state’s occupational health and safety administration – which oversees such rides – has reportedly not responded to requests for public comment. Sign the petition below to demand this agency do its due diligence in safeguarding amusement park consumers.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Park,
Previous alleged failures of occupational safety and health agencies to address reported violations of inspection safety standards may have contributed to serious injuries and deaths. A 2025 set of explosions at a Tennessee manufacturing plant and a Washington packaging facility tank rupture in 2026 are just two recent examples. Do not let California become the third case study.
Concerns about the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain have been documented for years, with dozens of emergency room records to back up these concerns. Some riders of this coaster have even died shortly after sustaining reported massive brain injuries. One of the latest such cases has ended with a coma and a woman’s uncertain future. Please undertake a full and rigorous evaluation of this ride and do everything in your power to ensure that it does not pose an imminent threat to people of all ages. Visitors to this park should not have to worry that their wonderful day of fun will be their last.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: WillMcC
