College grad reportedly dies in Six Flags roller coaster incident as family sues theme park

A California family reportedly filed a lawsuit accusing Six Flags Magic Mountain of a defective ride design after their 22-year-old son suffered fatal head trauma while riding the the X2 attraction.

The incident happened in summer 2022, when Christopher Hawley, a San Diego State University graduate, visited the Los Angeles County theme park with his family, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles. Hawley reportedly collapsed shortly after riding the X2 roller coaster and died the following day.

Separately, the X2 roller coaster was involved in another incident on July 5, 2026, when a rider was found unconscious, prompting the attraction to close for more than a month, KTLA reported.

Christopher’s death was ruled an accident caused by blunt-force head trauma sustained from the attraction, which his family described as exceptionally rough, Fox 11 said.

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An aerial view of roller coasters at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Christopher Hawley, 22, reportedly suffered fatal injuries following a ride on the X2 roller coaster.  (Christopher Hawley/Facebook)

His younger brother, Alex, described the ride as intensely violent, saying it jerked passengers around before ending with a jolt that sent their heads slamming into the headrests.

"It was very rough. It just jerked us. It just jerked us all around," Alex told the local station.

"It just jolted us all the way forward and then our heads just swung all the way back into the end to the head."

After Christopher stepped off the attraction, he reportedly appeared noticeably unwell, with his face turning very red before suddenly collapsing.

Emergency responders rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries the next day, Fox 11 reported.

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The X2 ride, which allegedly caused Christopher Hawley to sustain fatal head trauma, features seats that rotate 360 degrees.   (Christopher Hawley/Facebook)

The family said a surgeon compared Hawley's injuries to shaken baby syndrome, a condition in which violent and sudden forces cause the brain to move rapidly within the skull, potentially 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 the local station.

Six Flags declined to comment directly on the litigation to Fox News Digital.

However, the amusement park told Fox 11 that the ride remains closed following the separate July 2026 incident involving the unconscious rider.

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

Christopher Hawley was a recent San Diego State University graduate when he died following a roller coaster ride. (Christopher Hawley/Facebook)

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A jury trial involving Six Flags, the manufacturer of the X2 roller coaster and park employees is scheduled to begin Sept. 8, according to reports.

The lawsuit also alleges that the defendants failed to adequately warn the public about the ride's risks, the local station said.

X2 has been advertised as one of the theme park's most intense attractions and features seats that rotate 360 degrees.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Bonny Chu is a Breaking and Trending News Writer for Fox News Digital