News Guest dies, found unresponsive after riding Stardust Racers

[flynnibus]

It's like fall risks.. If the fall risk is there, you gotta mitigate it. You can't just say "only people not scared of heights and those who can respect the edge can be here".

If the train design can allow people to slam themselves in a way that will result in significant harm in a reasonable situation - they'll have to mitigate that.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

Wrong - you path is to assume that combination of factors you have identified is the only way it can happen. Instead of recognizing you don't address WHY but the intention of a safe ride is to make it impossible for the injury to happen regardless of WHY the rider may be out of control. That's the difference between a safe ride and a responsible rider.

So let's say you ban people with neurological or limb issues, so the issue doesn't repeat.
Now, a year later, someone else gets injured in the same way because of a DIFFERENT reason for the body to be moving that way.. you're F'd because you knew someone could be injured in this way, yet you didn't change the design. It doesn't matter that the REASON for the person flopping around is different, the risk is you know a person can be hurt, and it would be argued that it is reasonable to know that given the past occurrences.

Bingo. Perhaps another person with a different condition simply passes out on the ride and their limp body goes flailing. The park is still liable because there was not proper notification of the risk + they knew about the risk.

It's also Florida. People are severely dehydrated, tired, and hot. Passing out is not an uncommon thing in a ride that subjects you to a lot of G-forces (iirc its 3-4Gs?)

Dehydration > Low BP which means that when you have these forces pushing on you, adequate blood flow doesn't get to the brain, forcing you to pass out. They have to be SURE that this cannot happen from just anyone passing out (including a manner of body types that would still be allowed on the ride)

Yes, this guy has unique circumstances but we're really not sure and it's fully possible for this incident to happen to someone else without the exact same conditions.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

'did nothing wrong' is kind of a broad statement though. It would be more accurate to say "they did everything they were expecting to do" in terms of operating the ride. They didn't deviate from their SOP.

The "wrong" or not is loaded because there is an expectation that the ride is safe, in all circumstances. If the design of the ride allows for serious injury within situations that are practically possible and reasonable likely.. then the ride design is flawed, and both Uni and Mack did in fact "do something wrong" with the ride. The problem is with the design, not the operation.

If they find the injury is possible because the guy can't support himself (for whatever reason), I think you will find the ride getting a serious redesign of the trains and others being assessed for similar kinds of risks.

If the problem is 'range of movement and smacking a hard bar' - they can't rely on a guest being the one to avoid the injury.. they gotta deal with the reality that a guest may actually not be in control. Simply limiting who can ride won't fix that. They'd have to eliminate the risky elements on the train.

I don’t think it’s true that the ride is expected to be safe in all circumstances. That’s why there are rider requirements, e.g., height, different conditions, etc.

 

[flynnibus]

I don’t think it’s true that the ride is expected to be safe in all circumstances. That’s why there are rider requirements, e.g., height, different conditions, etc.

That's just setting the operating parameters - It's still expected to be safe within those.

No amusement ride will escape liability with "oh, well, that wasn't expected...". No one is getting on rides signing away a waiver of chance of death or bodily injury.

Nothing I said is counter to them setting operating parameters including who can safely ride. But within those, there is an expectation of riding without injury. Leave it to the lawyers to map out what that exact definition is in legal terms... but this is common knowledge and likely also codified in their state laws for operating amusements.

 

[flynnibus]

Bingo. Perhaps another person with a different condition simply passes out on the ride and their limp body goes flailing. The park is still liable because there was not proper notification of the risk + they knew about the risk.

Ignore notification - if it lead to great physical harm like this it would be deemed unsafe because neither the rider nor operator can realistically control that or avoid injury once it happens.

Rides can get away with the concern you might get dizzy or even at risk of GLOC (because its so marginal in most coasters) - but not "you might die if you pass out".

Yes, this guy has unique circumstances but we're really not sure and it's fully possible for this incident to happen to someone else without the exact same conditions.

Exactly - that's what the investigation really will flush out. If what happened to this victim is a concern for others, and that is what will drive change or not.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Ignore notification - if it lead to great physical harm like this it would be deemed unsafe because neither the rider nor operator can realistically control that or avoid injury once it happens.

Rides can get away with the concern you might get dizzy or even at risk of GLOC (because its so marginal in most coasters) - but not "you might die if you pass out".


Exactly - that's what the investigation really will flush out. If what happened to this victim is a concern for others, and that is what will drive change or not.

Universal is going to pay MASSIVE no matter what.

Even if there is technically nothing wrong with the ride but Kevin was allowed to ride (and possibly helped on by Universal team members) and passed out and because of his known condition he got banged to death, its Universal's fault.

The outstanding question in my mind is if a normal able bodied person were to pass out, would they get banged to death?

If that is a possibility then both the ride and universal is at fault.

I wonder if there has been anyone pass out on this ride aside from Kevin?

There are many videos on YouTube of folks passing out in the sling shot on 192.