X2, the Troubled California Six Flags Roller Coaster, Reaches Its End

X2, the beleaguered roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain near Los Angeles that has been at the center of numerous lawsuits, including at least two wrongful death cases, is permanently closing, the theme park’s operator said on Tuesday.The ride, which tops out at about 200 feet and reaches speeds of up to 76 miles an hour, has not operated since July, amid a flurry of complaints accusing Six Flags and S&S Worldwide, the company that built the roller coaster’s train cars, of failing to warn riders about the risks.Riders experienced up to four times the force of gravity on X2, which featured multiple inversions and twists and was classified as a “fourth-dimension” roller coaster because of the way its seats were designed.The seats rotated independently as the train traveled along the track, spinning riders as much as 360 degrees.Its design spawned intense criticism over the years, with lawsuits linking it to cerebral hemorrhages and other traumatic brain injuries.More than 16 million people rode the roller coaster since it was renamed X2 in 2008 after a redesign, according to Six Flags.

The original ride opened as X in 2002.In a blog post on Tuesday, Brian Oerding, the president of Six Flags Magic Mountain, said that the ride was being retired.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe....