News Guest dies, found unresponsive after riding Stardust Racers

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I've heard limited accounts that someone said the back of the headrest appeared off. Is it possible that something broke it structurally inside and the blows were to the back of the head on the metal directly behind? I'm really not sure the likelihood of that but I found that eyewitness odd.

I think I was editing to include “unless something broke“ as you replied, as designed it looks safe, if the headrest or something else broke though a few headbangs could be lethal.

 

[IMDREW]

Good lord. Just did this one 3 times this week with my dad. Mom just made him promise he’d never go on it again.

When we were there Monsters Unchained closed 2,5 hrs before park close, with police and paramedics arriving with a stretcher at the exit of the ride. Havent heard any reporting on that, so guessing it wasn’t as serious as this.

 

[mergatroid]

Good lord. Just did this one 3 times this week with my dad. Mom just made him promise he’d never go on it again.

When we were there Monsters Unchained closed 2,5 hrs before park close, with police and paramedics arriving with a stretcher at the exit of the ride. Havent heard any reporting on that, so guessing it wasn’t as serious as this.

I don't think you can get much more serious than this, somebody died.

Hopefully it wasn't something easily preventable, not that it matters the reason to the family of the person who's dead. It could well be a design of a screw made several years ago or something obscure like that, something that can be learned from.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

I think I was editing to include “unless something broke? “ as you replied, as designed it looks safe, if the headrest or something else broke though a few headbangs could be lethal.

Especially since with where it is from, the headbangs would be to the base of the skull/back of the head which are overall thinner than a hit to the forehead which is HEAVILY reinforced by the frontal bone. It's why I would assume based on those accounts, a far more likely scenario is something hitting to the back of the head to cause this issue, otherwise the cause would be very apparent to anyone on the scene. This is a ride with a maximum G-Force of about 4-5 G as far as I know with multiple launches. Especially if this headrest came off earlier on in the ride, someone in the ride would be subjected to some very severe hits right at the base of the skull.

Now, this is not confirmed and all and is just speculation based on my personal knowledge. I'm more of a medical person than an engineer.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

On what?

I'm sure we're going to find out they had some preexisting condition. It's important to know your personal limits, as thrill rides aren't actually safe for everyone to ride, no matter how many strict, general precautions are taken. This is the dirty little secret of theme parks we don't like to talk about.

There is one thing that you didn't consider. It is possible for a person have existing medical issue without it being diagnosed. I am saying that because a family member was born with a heart defect, but wasn't diagnosed with it before being in their 40s despite a test didn't defect anything as a teenager.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

I got very close to bumping my head on the seat in front of me when riding Full Throttle (on the final brakes) at Magic Mountain a couple years ago. I haven't been on Stardust Racers, but the seat in front of you does seem to extend back far enough for someone who has passed out to ram their head on it. Perhaps this is what happened?

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

Likely passed out and the limp body, repeatedly hit multiple areas during it run leading to a concussive death. Which if turns out true, Racers will stay down while they work on new restraint options and/or new car designs. Even a body at rest, rag-dolling within a coaster should be properly-restrained. Terrible news. And based on current rumors... avoidable.

 

[disneylandtour]

Cause of death: “multiple blunt impact injuries"

This ride is not re-opening any time soon. And possibly not re-opening at all.

Thoughts go out to the family. Multiple blunt impact injuries (not a single incidence, like a dropped phone, or a bird, or a fallen branch, etc.) suggest that this should've been under Universal's control.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Likely passed out and the limp body, repeatedly hit multiple areas during it run leading to a concussive death. Which if turns out true, Racers will stay down while they work on new restraint options and/or new car designs. Even a body at rest, rag-dolling within a coaster should be properly-restrained. Terrible news. And based on current rumors... avoidable.

Curious about something. Would some of the dummy testing presumably conducted pre-opening not have revealed potential issues with a guest going limp and their body acting like a ragdoll?

 

[disneylandtour]

Curious about something. Would some of the dummy testing presumably conducted pre-opening not have revealed potential issues with a guest going limp and their body acting like a ragdoll?

It's a coaster with multiple Gs. This would've been central for testing. The surprising part, for me, is that the person was in their 30. I've seen people who look close to 70 (not a lot but some) get on this ride.

 

[Andrew C]

if these restraints can cause the impact to a “limp” body as people are suggesting, then the same can happen for all coasters with this system. Super common. Unless something actually broke. Or something else with the deceased occurred. A lot of speculation right now.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Is it still hearsay/speculation that the guest went unconscious before the injuries occurred?

 

[Andrew C]

Is it still hearsay/speculation that the guest went unconscious before the injuries occurred?

Unless I’m mistaken, I believe so.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Then there really is almost no telling what really happened right now. Just that the guest died from being hit with something.

 

[mkt]

Impact with what, exactly?

Your harnesses and limp hands?

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

hit with something...

...Multiple times. Which means fault, somewhere.

 

[Comped]

Is it still hearsay/speculation that the guest went unconscious before the injuries occurred?

From what I understand, the only thing we know from eyewitness reports is that the guest was unconscious when they came into the station.

 

[Andrew C]

...Multiple times. Which means fault, somewhere.

That’s a jump. Maybe. But a jump until we know more.

 

[mkt]

From reddit:

He was wheel chair bound. There are no shoulder straps on the ride. I believe he slipped out enough to smash his face on the seat on front of him. Multiple times. I was there.

If this is the case, the ride either no longer becomes ADA compliant, or they retrofit one ride vehicle with OTSR.

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

From reddit:



If this is the case, the ride either no longer becomes ADA compliant, or they retrofit one ride vehicle with OTSR.

I think they were in the middle of doing just that. Somewhere in the Redditverse I remember reading about new trains or new restraints to better accommodate ADA guests. I think the user even suggested that they were ordered and already on the lot ready to be installed. Which if true, could add a new wrinkle to this story.