Death at Driving Experience

[Daniel Johnson]

I wish the Chicago reporters who had covered my Uncle's death had just one ounce of respect and empathy that you had with that brave young man.

The circumstances of my Uncle's death - they were on a call for an apartment fire and he was holding a door open for his men. The upper floors and major part of the HVAC collapsed landed on him.

Their kids were mostly young and the eldest was in his early 20's. They did end up sending my Uncle's friend out to tell the media to respect the family's wishes and to give space and he spoke to the media in regards to my Uncle's character. Our family was too much in shock to release a statement because there were no words. It was just too much, and so close to his retirement.

I can relate to the extremes that media will go. And, it's not all sources. But we have an ambulance chaser news crew in my home town. After an issue we had with them at my mother's house i let them know publicly I wanted to discuss their actions and choices to get a story. I went so far as to sit at the station where a police officer escorted me out because the reporter I came to talk to feared I would hurt him. Eventually I finally got to talk to someone in charge at the station and they changed their policy on the issue that had happened at my mother's. I totally understand that new agencies have a job to report the news, good and bad. But, the cost they will get it is a little far, and it frankly needs to be addressed across the nation.
As with the tragedy at wdw, I've seen it on our local news channel, and a national late night news source.
The local news reported a death at exotic driving experence @ wdw. They stated no names, and showed no actual accident photos. Just the Mickey head pond.
The late night news agency reported the death at exotic driving experence, owned by the Richard Petty driving experience. They also listed the victims name and the drivers name. They removed the drivers name just thirty minutes later when the report ran again. They also showed pictures of the covered Lamborghini and a wide shot of the covered car with the skid marks while the car is resting on the guard rail.

 

[ItlngrlBella]

^^^ yikes - well at least some positive change came out of you discussing their policy with them. Kudos for turning down good out of a bad situation!

 

[Daniel Johnson]

^^^ yikes - well at least some positive change came out of you discussing their policy with them. Kudos for turning down good out of a bad situation!

It wasn't easy getting to that point, took me three months to get in touch with a head of the studio. Took 5 months to actually see a change.

 

[Rutt]

Yep, the media can be brutal. The last picture I have of my step father is of a tarp and his mangled mountain bike. It was posted on the first page of the Toronto Star after he was killed by a drunk driver. This was nearly fifteen years ago and things have just gotten worse.

As for this incident, I wish the families of all involved the best and just hope people give them the time and space needed to heal.

 

[DisneyCane]

This is sad news. Somehow it makes it sadder to learn the person killed was a Disney Cast Member.

This "attraction" never sat well with me. It just seemed like a dangerous and unnecessary use of space for WDW, and it also seemed like something from the 1970's or 80's, rather than the Safety-Conscious 21st century. Putting tourists in very fast supercars for a price never seemed like a wise idea, but that's just me.

I'd agree. The track never should have been built where it was to start with. And once the pros pulled out, rightfully so, Disney needed to do something with it ... hence these experiences.

I'd never get into a plane and have someone fly who has never flown just because a pilot is sitting next to them.

I'd never get on a speedboat and let a novice pilot it just because an experienced boater was sitting next to them.

I'd never want to have a medical student conducting surgery on me just because a surgeon is in the room.

I won't go on. But I was surprised that Disney ever let an enterprise go on on their property that was/is so inherently dangerous. This is the company that placed sharp railings on bridges and walls, so people wouldn't sit on them and possibly fall off. How anyone thought this was a good fit for Disney boggles the mind.

Just sad and unnecessary.

Can we please stop with the over the top reactions about how dangerous the driving experience is? If it is so dangerous, why has RPDE never had a fatality in over a decade of operation at several race tracks? Somebody did die of a heart attack while driving once but that can't be blamed on the activity.

1974, your analogies are ridiculous. Everybody that drives a car is qualified to drive these cars, especially the exotics. They are street legal cars that anybody can buy (if you have enough money). Even in the NASCARs, you don't get to drive THAT fast and are limited to far less speed than the car or the track can handle.

I've done an exotic car experience where we drove on regular highways/roads. I can guarantee that I was going faster at some points than they let you drive on that track.

Of course, as ridiculous as your analogies are (because those are not activities that a person tends to know how to do), how do you think people are trained to do those things? I'll give you a hint, people who have never done those things before do them for the first time while somebody experienced sits/stands with them.

This accident was a terrible tragedy but is not a reason for these "shut down the attraction" reactions. I can guarantee you that the fatality rate for people driving to Disney World is MUCH higher than the fatality rate on the WDW speedway for RPDE. Should we shut down Disney World so that nobody gets killed driving there?

 

[Master Yoda]

Are these out of the showroom cars, or do they have some added roll cage protection or any added protection from the stock vehicle?

They were straight out of the show room when I did it. Stock, body, seats, restraints, etc. The only added protection is a helmet.

 

[JohnD]

I'd agree. The track never should have been built where it was to start with. And once the pros pulled out, rightfully so, Disney needed to do something with it ... hence these experiences.

I'd never get into a plane and have someone fly who has never flown just because a pilot is sitting next to them.

I'd never get on a speedboat and let a novice pilot it just because an experienced boater was sitting next to them.

I'd never want to have a medical student conducting surgery on me just because a surgeon is in the room.

I won't go on. But I was surprised that Disney ever let an enterprise go on on their property that was/is so inherently dangerous. This is the company that placed sharp railings on bridges and walls, so people wouldn't sit on them and possibly fall off. How anyone thought this was a good fit for Disney boggles the mind.

Just sad and unnecessary.

I won't argue over whether the track should have been built. But looking at that guardrail and the way one side was jutting out to accomodate getting inside the oval without any protection around it, it was an accident waiting to happen. Now, it has and it was tragic.

 

[DisneyCane]

I won't argue over whether the track should have been built. But looking at that guardrail and the way one side was jutting out to accomodate getting inside the oval without any protection around it, it was an accident waiting to happen. Now, it has and it was tragic.

The guard rail was obviously designed for the cars to be going the other direction. I don't know why they decided on clockwise for the exotic experience when the racing experience is counter clockwise.

 

[zakattack99]

The guard rail was obviously designed for the cars to be going the other direction. I don't know why they decided on clockwise for the exotic experience when the racing experience is counter clockwise.

It's my understanding that indy and European style racing rUns clockwise. I belive that nascar runs clockwise at one if not both road courses.

I'm very interested in what Disney will do with the racetrack in that I believe they'll just shut it down. They're scheduled to before the end of the FY; I can easily see them pulling the plug in

Agreed I don't see them opening this again. I would even bet that they will bulldoze as much of the track as soon as possible. Maby not start new construction but destroy what is there... out of sight out of mind type thing.

 

[JohnD]

The guard rail was obviously designed for the cars to be going the other direction. I don't know why they decided on clockwise for the exotic experience when the racing experience is counter clockwise.

Yeah, a contributing factor to the accident. All the more reason that the blunt end of the guardrail should have had rubber tires or whatever around it. Or they could have looped it back on itself.

 

[tribbleorlfl]

While I am not engaging in speculation and acknowledge this was likely nothing more than a tragic accident, does anyone know if RPDE screens participant's driving record and/or administers a breathalyzer test prior to stepping in the vehicle? It would seem like a poor business decision to let someone with a history of reckless driving, or who might have engaged in some pre-driving celebrations, behind the wheel.

 

[Daniel Johnson]

While I am not engaging in speculation and acknowledge this was likely nothing more than a tragic accident, does anyone know if RPDE screens participant's driving record and/or administers a breathalyzer test prior to stepping in the vehicle? It would seem like a poor business decision to let someone with a history of reckless driving, or who might have engaged in some pre-driving celebrations, behind the wheel.

I wasn't screened when I drove in Daytona. But I guarantee fhp screened for alcohol and drugs after the wreck. I'm sure if it was a contributing factor the news agencies would have picked up on it...like you said, it seems like a tragic accident.

 

[Nemo14]

While I am not engaging in speculation and acknowledge this was likely nothing more than a tragic accident, does anyone know if RPDE screens participant's driving record and/or administers a breathalyzer test prior to stepping in the vehicle? It would seem like a poor business decision to let someone with a history of reckless driving, or who might have engaged in some pre-driving celebrations, behind the wheel.

Sounds to me like you are engaging (and encouraging) speculation...

 

[mousehockey37]

When you lose control in a high speed turn... You often end up on the inside of the turn as the car oversteers

Looks to me they lost it coming out of the high speed bank... Oversteers... Snaps back to the left and slides to the right into the infield

I've grown up with racing. I'm well aware of what happens with cars when they lose control at high speeds. You're not telling me anything I don't already know.

Also, these cars have cameras in them, equipped with video of driver/passenger as well as all the telemetry that the car was doing at the time of the crash.

 

[CarlFredricksen]

I'd agree. The track never should have been built where it was to start with. And once the pros pulled out, rightfully so, Disney needed to do something with it ... hence these experiences.

I'd never get into a plane and have someone fly who has never flown just because a pilot is sitting next to them.

I'd never get on a speedboat and let a novice pilot it just because an experienced boater was sitting next to them.

I'd never want to have a medical student conducting surgery on me just because a surgeon is in the room.

I won't go on. But I was surprised that Disney ever let an enterprise go on on their property that was/is so inherently dangerous. This is the company that placed sharp railings on bridges and walls, so people wouldn't sit on them and possibly fall off. How anyone thought this was a good fit for Disney boggles the mind.

Just sad and unnecessary.

Hate to burst your bubble but if you fly commercial enough you're bound to have a pilot in training.

And don't hold your breath on your med school example. At large teaching hospitals, residents -- who are students -- often times run an OR while the surgeon bounces between a couple rooms, checking in.

 

[mousehockey37]

The cars slide in the field. You remove any curbs that would cause flips... As that is far more dangerous.

Tracks want runoff and gravel pits to allow cars to safely stop if they run off the track.

This barrier setup they had should not have been left that way given the tracks setup. There are always things you might hit... But obviously you try to minimize them

Hence why I questioned the why there were no water barrels around that end of the guard rail. For normal speedway use, the ambulance and other emergency response vehicles would sit behind that rail, allowing them quick access to the track when needed. In this road race set up, it needed to have those barrels or be closed off and not a "point" to hit. Disney failed as racing safety standards increased.

 

[ford91exploder]

It's tragic that you lost your uncle. I don't know the circumstances, obviously, but when a firefighter or police officer dies in the call of duty usually the press wants a comment because the person died heroically. Not that it makes it any easier. The media has to balance attempting to get a comment with a grieving familiy's right to privacy and to be left alone in an awful time.

Back when I worked in journalism and was a young reporter, I wound up having to interview (or attempt to) a 16-year-old football player whose father died that afternoon suddenly and the kid was going to play for his team (and did). It was not easy. I simply went up to him as gently as I could (he was crying and I felt like tearing approaching him) and asked him if he'd mind talking -- his choice, yes or no. He was very emotional, but said he wanted to talk, much like he wanted to play in the game, for his biggest fan, his dad. I talked to him for 4-5 minutes tops and then told him how sorry I was for his loss and how brave I thought he was and walked away. It's not always easy, believe me. I got into my car and I just started crying, but I had a job to do and I did it. Respectfully and the right way, but I did it.



That's awful. I really can't imagine why they would act in such a callous manner. You attempt to speak to the family and if they say no and request privacy, you respect that. I've never seen that myself, but I have heard similar tales. Often, a family will ask a friend or clergyman or neighbor to simply go out and give a one sentence reply basically asking for privacy and, most of the time, the media accepts that and moves on.

And, no, the public does not need to see everything.

With tonight's accident/incident, I have no idea whether the media went too far and, if so, who. If one TV station aired footage that went too far, I can't blame all of them. The CBS affiliate here in MIami ran it as the number 3 or 4 story and showed only footage of someone driving up World Drive and using a cellphone to capture video of the wall of the track. There was no accident footage whatsoever, let alone footage that lingered over the deceased. That said, this is a story that deserves coverage and showing some footage from the scene is fair.

B-roll stock footage should be sufficient, But what the media wants today is a shot of the accident in progress and the face of the victim being carried out, When I did this in college the mantra was still 'If it bleeds it leads" but the difference was that was not meant literally. Yes it was a story but actual photos of the victim and family at site were not considered in good taste. The wreck itself as it was being cleared was generally sufficient.

 

[ULPO46]

I was looking at the WESH 2 app on my phone and it has been officially announced by Disney that the attraction will continue to operate until August whence demolition will begin and an extension to the Magic Kingdom Parking Space will occur.

 

[mousehockey37]

B-roll stock footage should be sufficient, But what the media wants today is a shot of the accident in progress and the face of the victim being carried out, When I did this in college the mantra was still 'If it bleeds it leads" but the difference was that was not meant literally. Yes it was a story but actual photos of the victim and family at site were not considered in good taste. The wreck itself as it was being cleared was generally sufficient.

Well, as I've said before, there are cameras mounted inside the car, both facing in and out of the car, possibly with the audio between the driver and instructor. It's a "take home" gift you can get apparently to remember your experience by. No doubt that FHP has that and should any possible legal action come about, it will be used.

 

[ItlngrlBella]

I was looking at the WESH 2 app on my phone and it has been officially announced by Disney that the attraction will continue to operate until August whence demolition will begin and an extension to the Magic Kingdom Parking Space will occur.

I'm wondering -

1. How many people will cancel their experiences now - after the tragic accident.

2. How much money will be lost trying to keep the thing "open" and "operating" until August.

If it's slated to close already, why not just close it now? That makes no sense and part of me feels like it's just bad form.