News Guest dies, found unresponsive after riding Stardust Racers

[SplashJacket]

Sincere question - if a limp human body is getting thrown around like a ragdoll at 60+ mph and around 4 G’s, that’s not enough to cause blunt force trauma?

The speed is irrelevant, it’s the acceleration that would cause force / slamming, but as mentioned elsewhere, the acceleration (launches and decelerations) are in line with many other coasters, and the restraints are featured in many other coasters for years and years (without issue).

Star Dust very likely has the highest capacity of any extreme thrill coaster, and Star Dust likely has the highest proportion of unfit riders.

We don’t know what happened, so too early to say, but this isn’t a world’s tallest slide or prototype situation.

 

[BrianLo]

The issue remains the medical examiners determinant of death as blunt force trauma. Not the guest passing out or having an arrest.

I see nothing wrong with the guests ability to ride the coaster based on the warning requirements. They are in a self propelled wheelchair.

I still think much is to be said, but until we swing back to blunt force trauma being secondary, it’s hard to imagine the coaster operates again in the medium term.

 

[Comped]

The issue remains the medical examiners determinant of death as blunt force trauma. Not the guest passing out or having an arrest.

I see nothing wrong with the guests ability to ride the coaster based on the warning requirements. They are in a self propelled wheelchair.

I still think much is to be said, but until we swing back to blunt force trauma being secondary, it’s hard to imagine the coaster operates again in the medium term.

Medical examiner would have said if it was a preexisting condition which killed the victim. That's kind of their job. I don't see there's a way the cause of death gets revised.

 

[BrianLo]

Medical examiner would have said if it was a preexisting condition which killed the victim. That's kind of their job. I don't see there's a way the cause of death gets revised.

That’s precisely what I’m saying. In response to all the speculation, multiple blunt force trauma as the primary cause of death is the issue. The medical examiner has made the current call that the coaster killed him.

 

[FoodRockz]

His anatomy is not "typical" and therefore the lap style restraint was not able to maintain full and safe control of him throughout the ride. Whether he was conscious or not. The only detail that could damn Universal would be if the team member didn't ensure the restraint was "all the way down" prior to launch. My thoughts are with the family following such an unfortunate event.

 

[lazyboy97o]

His anatomy is not "typical" and therefore the lap style restraint was not able to maintain full and safe control of him throughout the ride. Whether he was conscious or not. The only detail that could damn Universal would be if the team member didn't ensure the restraint was "all the way down" prior to launch. My thoughts are with the family following such an unfortunate event.

There are as of yet unconfirmed reports of something coming loose on the train which could have nothing to do with body shape.

 

[FoodRockz]

There are as of yet unconfirmed reports of something coming loose on the train which could have nothing to do with body shape.

Well that is surprising. If true, this investigation is going to be a wild ride.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

From the comments here, I take it many don't ride coasters much if at all.

Uh, I have a season pass to Hersheypark...I not only ride rollercoasters, I am riding the super intense stuff on a regular basis. Also have been to a bunch of other parks with more on the bucket list. That's in addition to my hyperfixation about learning how they work.

It's not even that intense compared to roller coasters that exist elsewhere and that have been in existence for a while now. 62 mph max speed for Stardust Racers, max height of 133 feet Pantheon in Busch Gardens Williamsburg goes 78 MPH and is about 40 feet taller. You wanna talk intense? Skyrush at Hersheypark still is one of the most intense things I've ever experienced...and I am used to it. Storm Runner at Hersheypark is 20 years old, slightly taller than Stardust Racers, and goes from 0 to 72 MPH in two seconds. 90 degrees, straight up. Xcellerator at Knott's? 23 years old, over 200 ft, 82 mph (though I still think Storm Runner is somehow worse, having been on both).

Also, this creates g-forces, but below the max of what humans can tolerate. You know what actually creates more g-forces? Tighter inversions. Loops that are shaped like a circle instead of a teardrop (they don't make those because they figured out real fast, more than 100 years ago). Curves that don't have enough banking, hence why Wild Mouse rides can be super uncomfortable, and why Space Mountain had to be modified. Smaller, more compact inversions. A helix at high speeds (you know that turn at the bottom of Everest? Yeah, strong g forces right there).

A large rollercoaster like this? Sure, it's gonna have Gs, but nowhere near dangerous, and not nearly as many as some other rollercoasters have.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

There are as of yet unconfirmed reports of something coming loose on the train which could have nothing to do with body shape.

I still have to wonder if it's a selfie stick. I mean, absolutely won't discount the possibility of something else coming loose, especially with an investigation pending...but I still have to wonder if it was a stupid selfie stick.

 

[hopemax]

Stardust Racers is the only ride at Epic, that not only has lockers, but also uses metal detection. For a guest to lose something like a cellphone or selfie stick, the TM would have had to have missed it at the checkpoint.

 

[JT3000]

His anatomy is not "typical" and therefore the lap style restraint was not able to maintain full and safe control of him throughout the ride. Whether he was conscious or not. The only detail that could damn Universal would be if the team member didn't ensure the restraint was "all the way down" prior to launch. My thoughts are with the family following such an unfortunate event.

Universal let him ride. You can't just throw up your hands and blame it on his "atypical anatomy." It doesn't work that way. We also don't even know precisely what role the restraint played or didn't play in the tragedy.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

There's an inherent assumption of risk when a guest chooses to voluntarily ride anything.

I love this post because it’s true of everything we do, I have medical issues that occasionally cause vertigo and/or seizures but that doesn’t change the fact I still love riding coasters, still love hiking in the mountains, still love riding my bike, still love running, etc… I know if I have a seizure in the mountains I’m much more at risk than your average Joe but I’d rather risk something bad happening while I’m having fun living my life than sit in my house being bored and safe.

I don’t begrudge this guy one bit for going out and having fun, everything we do has a risk associated with it and we all choose where we draw our risk line in the sand, as horrible as this is it’s comforting to know he was out living his life having fun rather than sitting at home depressed he was “stuck” in a wheelchair.

None of us are guaranteed a specific amount of years so enjoy life while you can.

 

[danlb_2000]

I still have to wonder if it's a selfie stick. I mean, absolutely won't discount the possibility of something else coming loose, especially with an investigation pending...but I still have to wonder if it was a stupid selfie stick.

How would someone get multiple blunt force injuries from a selfie stick?

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Would the ride seat and restraints be designed for the eventuality of a ride loosing consciousness?

Yes. This happens all the time on roller coasters.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Mission Space killed people and it’s still open. Other than creating Mission Green do we know if anything else was modified?

Yes, it was modified. It is no longer as intense as it was.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Missing Space didn't kill anyone. Two people rode with a pre-existing conditions. Neither death was caused by the ride.

And they still modified it.

 

[VicariousCorpse]

Yes, it was modified. It is no longer as intense as it was.

And they still modified it.

Once again, this is just a myth. Orange was not modified to be less intense.

 

[mkt]

I still have to wonder if it's a selfie stick. I mean, absolutely won't discount the possibility of something else coming loose, especially with an investigation pending...but I still have to wonder if it was a stupid selfie stick.

If it had any metal, it likely wouldn't have made it through the metal detectors. These are the most hypersensitive ones I've ever encountered.

 

[mkt]

Visitor dies after becoming unresponsive on roller coaster at Universal's Epic Universe - ABC News https://share.google/Kgcb6fAugdTwlac5I

The incident took place on Wednesday night when the person, identified by officials as 32-year-old Kevin Zavala, was riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster at the Universal Orlando Resorts park and became unresponsive in the middle of the ride, according to a statement from Universal Orlando Resorts.

I hate it when English-language media butcher Spanish naming conventions.

His name was Kevin Rodriguez Zavala - not Kevin Zavala. In Spanish naming conventions, we use two last names. Rodriguez is one of those two last names, NOT a middle name.

They should use his full name, or if it isn't an option, then you use only the first - Rodriguez.

 

[cjkeating]

So I’m at Fantasiana in Austria today where they have Helios a Mack coaster with the same restraints as Stardust Racers. I’ve obviously paid more attention to the restraint system and I’ve made a couple of observations.

One is that the restraint comes much higher up on your chest than you may think. So it’s less a lap bar and more a lower/mid-abdominal restraint. This does limit how much your upper body can flex more than you think when compared to an actual lap bar on a less intense coaster. Second the “shell” that wraps around you does offer lateral support. Third I have tried to work out how I could hurt myself if I passed out and the only thing that could maybe, slightly be possible if you were very flexible would be your head making contact with the metal bars that are there for you to hold on to that come out of the restraint. But this seems virtually impossible. But maybe not.

Just thought I’d share my thoughts from my experience today.