News Guest dies, found unresponsive after riding Stardust Racers

[mkt]

Paramedics can also pronounce. As well as nurse practitioners.

Florida doesn’t give paramedics or EMTs the legal authority to pronounce death. That call can only be made by an attending practitioner - which under the law means a physician, physician assistant, or APRN - or by the medical examiner (§ 382.008, § 382.009, Fla. Stat.).

What EMS can do is recognize an obvious death in the field - decapitation, decomposition, rigor, lividity - and stop resuscitation efforts. But the actual pronouncement and certification still has to come from a physician, PA, APRN, or the ME. The Attorney General has even clarified that there’s no statute authorizing sheriffs, deputies, or EMTs to do it (Op. Att’y Gen. Fla. 2001-47).

 

[ToTBellHop]

Wherever blame ends up falling, though, it is certainly not going to be on the girlfriend for not stopping her boyfriend from dying on the roller coaster from blunt force trauma.

While I don’t think we should blame anyone at this time….as none of us in this thread have all the facts….I certainly do not see where placing any guilt on the girlfriend is appropriate…. I am sure she feels guilty enough….going through all sorts of scenarios of what she could of done differently….it is easy to say what we would of done after the fact…but honestly none of us know how we would of reacted in the moment

And at no point will it be the girlfriend who is to blame, to imply otherwise is really out of order. Unless she deliberately unbuckled him during the ride of which there is currently no evidence, it's wrong to imply otherwise. Fair enough if you want to express your views on the way that the family lawyer is going about things, but questioning why Kevin's sister didn't do more is extremely low. If she hadn't ridden would you be blaming the stranger next to him for being partially to blame too? If the people sat next to you were required to act to assist you during a ride then there'd be training beforehand like before an aircraft takes off and they tell you what to do in case of an emergency.

Of course, she won’t be found liable. I am pointing out that it is unusual that she isn’t talking about how she did everything she could to help him but the ride still killed him. As such, I think some details are being purposefully withheld during a highly biased press conference and that, perhaps, we shouldn’t be too quick to blame anyone else based upon this circus.

Usually, you hire a clown like him when you don’t have a solid case and want bad media to push a settlement.

 

[lewisc]

Usually, you hire a clown like him when you don’t have a solid case and want bad media to push a settlement

Or you have a strong case but are using the media to push for a high settlement.

A mathematical calculation values his life considerably lower then the amount the case will probably settle for.

Cause of death is blunt force trauma. Solid case.

 

[cjkeating]

Whilst I have not been on Stardust Racers but have been on many other Mack's with the same train design I still struggle to comprehend how anyone can bend forward enough to hit their head on the railing at the front of the train car. Your upper body needs to stretch far over you knees whilst having a football sized restraint fixed on your abdomen.

I assume the autopsy will give detail as to exactly what parts of the train made contact with Kevin in which parts of his head/body because until we are told in writing by a medical professional I just don't understand how.

Some vests like with these were already reported onsite for modified seating going in for one seat per train. Now each seat of every train will probably get them as good faith and part of the settlement/for future concerns.

The vests were onsite for modified seats for Larger rider body type. This is info could look bad but they were onsite prior to this incident as reported by various sites.

Do you know the purpose of the vest on this modified seat? No other Mack 'big person' seat has a vest?

 

[mergatroid]

Of course, she won’t be found liable. I am pointing out that it is unusual that she isn’t talking about how she did everything she could to help him but the ride still killed him. As such, I think some details are being purposefully withheld during a highly biased press conference and that, perhaps, we shouldn’t be too quick to blame anyone else based upon this circus.

Usually, you hire a clown like him when you don’t have a solid case and want bad media to push a settlement.

If she couldn't do anything (you have no idea whether she could or couldn't) then why would she have to comment on that? You're making assumptions based on what you think she should have said. Let's hope and pray that neither of us are ever in that position that we have to stand there talking about one of our loved ones passing away and have strangers judging us and making claims that we didn't do enough.

 

[Disstevefan1]

600M for a wrongful death suit? In Florida? Not even close.

Too much? The drop tower suit on I drive won 310M and that’s small potatoes compared to up Universal.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Of course, she won’t be found liable. I am pointing out that it is unusual that she isn’t talking about how she did everything she could to help him but the ride still killed him. As such, I think some details are being purposefully withheld during a highly biased press conference and that, perhaps, we shouldn’t be too quick to blame anyone else based upon this circus.

Usually, you hire a clown like him when you don’t have a solid case and want bad media to push a settlement.

She just went through a very traumatic event, so I don't think it is that unusual she doesn't want to go in front of the cameras to relive it.

Obviously, the press conference is part of a strategy to put pressure on Universal to pay out to the family one way or the other. So, of course, we can't just take everything as the unvarnished truth as information is being selectively presented in accordance with that strategy. My impression was also that they don't have all that much information. To turn around and start casting aspersions on the deceased's girlfriend for not doing more to save him, though, seems like a very distasteful overreaction to recognising that we can't pronounce Universal at fault on the basis of that press conference.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Too much? The drop tower suit on I drive won 310M and that’s small potatoes compared to up Universal.

The drop tower was modified in a way that made it dangerous.

 

[flynnibus]

The difference is, I brought a follow up and evidence to the discussion, rather than telling others how to post.

Buhaha..

I point you back to your post where you try to tell an engineer how physics works generically while everyone else is talking about the ride path itself already. Good lord...

 

[flynnibus]

Obviously, the press conference is part of a strategy to put pressure on Universal to pay out to the family one way or the other. So, of course, we can't just take everything as the unvarnished truth as information is being selectively presented in accordance with that strategy. My impression was also that they don't have all that much information.

They are 'chumming the water' so to speak.. Trying to

1 - get anyone to come forward with details. It's throwing the net and hoping to catch info they haven't been able to get themselves
2 - Sow the public opinion on the matter to try to set the table and pressure UNI to be more proactive in addressing the issue
3 - For helping their own case (and the emotional tax) help force the attraction to stay closed until a conclusion is reached

Remember, there isn't even a lawsuit filed yet. These folks are in the early staging mode while waiting for Uni, the state, and the ME, to complete their work.. and when those findings are ready.. they'll try to negotiate. If info isn't available and/or negotiations don't work, immediately file suit, and then use the legal process to flush out the info they want, and again negotiate.

Everyone is still in "information collecting" phase, but each side is doing it independently. The Press Conferences are just show to help extend their reach and sway public opinion.

 

[hsisthebest]

See rollercoaster restraints such as recent B&M coasters that have pull over lap restraints. There is a soft vest underneath that prevent that level where the vests rests on shoulders that would keep you from going forward as well as ears or side of head.

Some vests like with these were already reported onsite for modified seating going in for one seat per train. Now each seat of every train will probably get them as good faith and part of the settlement/for future concerns.

I googled around and I see what you mean with the vests- but still I don't see how this stops a passed out person's head from "flopping" forward and back (chin to chest then smacking back). Think of everything that goes into a newborn/infant car seat to protect the head- they are rear-facing, tilted, and a 5 point harness because newborns are essential bobble-heads. A passed out person + spinal injury/damage would need this level of support to account for every possibility of injury/death prevention.

 

[Disstevefan1]

The drop tower was modified in a way that made it dangerous.

Agreed, I was saying Universal has MUCH DEEPER pockets than The I drive thing.

At this point its how much money Crump can get.

 

[mkt]

Agreed, I was saying Universal has MUCH DEEPER pockets than The I drive thing.

At this point its how much money Crump can get.

IIRC, the manufacturer paid the lion's share of the settlement.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

The drop tower was modified in a way that made it dangerous.

I think that’s going to be the major difference, unless some new info comes out that shows known negligence I’ll be shocked if the amount is even close to the drop tower, gross negligence vs accident isn’t even comparable.

I think they’re doing press just hoping for a better settlement, I could see the family getting $10 million from both Uni and Mack just to make Crump go away, I’ll be shocked if it reaches 10% of the drop tower amount though simply because fault isn’t obvious.

 

[Disstevefan1]

IIRC, the manufacturer paid the lion's share of the settlement.

Crump does not care where the money comes from as long as they PAY UP!

 

[mkt]

Crump does not care where the money comes from as long as they PAY UP!

I get that.

I was just adding clarity.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Agreed, I was saying Universal has MUCH DEEPER pockets than The I drive thing.

At this point its how much money Crump can get.

That doesn’t really matter.

IIRC, the manufacturer paid the lion's share of the settlement.

The operator was also a subsidiary of the manufacturer.

 

[mkt]

The operator was also a subsidiary of the manufacturer.

Appreciate this insight.

Guess it was a matter of which part of the company had better insurance/budgets.

 

[Disstevefan1]

That doesn’t really matter.

It matters to Crump bigly.

Crump will preach, “The only way to force these parks and ride manufacturers to make these rides safe is to make them PAY!”

But then again, we already know this.

 

[Rich Brownn]

Too much? The drop tower suit on I drive won 310M and that’s small potatoes compared to up Universal.

That was a willful negligence case - the owners had deliberately modified the ride vehicle overriding safety features. It was not operating normally. That is not the case here