Tragedy
Family Sues Six Flags After Son, 22, Dies From Head Injuries Suffered on Roller Coaster
More than four years after Christopher Hawley stepped off Six Flags’ X2 roller coaster and collapsed, his parents are preparing to ask a jury to hold the theme park responsible for his tragic death.
The U.S. Sun reported on Monday, August 24, that a jury trial over Christopher’s death is scheduled to begin on September 8 in Chatsworth, California.
Christopher, a 22-year-old recent San Diego State University graduate, visited Six Flags Magic Mountain with his younger brother, Alex Hawley, and a cousin on June 23, 2022.
The family’s lawsuit alleges the X2 coaster violently jolted riders before ending with a hard movement that forced their heads into the restraints. “It was very rough. It just jerked us. It just jerked us all around,” Alex told FOX 11, Los Angeles.
Christopher appeared unsteady after leaving the ride, held a railing, and complained that his head hurt, according to the lawsuit. He then collapsed and never regained consciousness. Doctors discovered severe bleeding in his brain, and he died on June 24, according to the outlet.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner ruled the death accidental and attributed it to blunt head trauma sustained in a “park ride accident,” FOX 11 reported.
According to the lawsuit, Christopher’s parents, Anne Hawley and William Hawley, have accused Six Flags, the ride’s manufacturer, and other defendants of negligence, defective design and inadequate warnings. Six Flags has denied the allegations.
“We went from a family of four to a family of three in an instant,” Anne told FOX 11.
According to the official website, X2 reaches 76 mph, while its seats rotate riders 360 degrees through drops and inversions.
The attraction is currently closed as California safety regulators investigate a separate July incident unrelated to Christopher’s death, according to the L.A Times.
Six Flags has not issued a public statement addressing the lawsuit or the family’s allegations.
