News Guest dies, found unresponsive after riding Stardust Racers

[celluloid]

I think people are so woefully unaware of how people with disabilities actually are, they are just making up stuff to explain things that don't make sense to them.

One of the major things that I feel is absolutely crazy is the people blaming his family and saying they should not have LET him ride???

He's a grown man? In his 30s? Afaik he is not a severely mentally disabled man and can make his own choices??

Yes. I find it equally as disgusting that people want to say the coaster has zero culpability.

It does for sure here. That is certain at this point. What level the investigations will habe to show more.

Stardust racers does not have a restrictive height requirement. Neither me or my young son have strong cores. It is silly to say people know the guy was weak because he required a wheelchair.
The right row, the right force and a moment of unconsciousness. Its easy to see how a body could go forward and down. The reach that the head could reach a bar if that is what happened is an issue. And there is always a chance of a ride sudden stop so if(and I admit if) that is possible, it is most certainly a bad deaign oversight because restraints are often just as much as unpredictable and non routine as they are the typical.

For the record of my take, Universal is doing the right thing after the fact by keeping it closed and it likely going to make this exact thing as much as they know and can help be a non repeatable. No one is evil in the situation.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Yea RnR is really just a take off into the loop I think? I cant remember the exact ride path but its fun that I ride it as much as I can,

Gs PLUS all the twists and turns on other coasters makes a ride less tolerable?

RnR is a good example of a ride where OTS restraints ruin it, it’s a fun ride but I don’t think we’ve ever done it more than once a day because our heads bounce off the restraints so much it’s a headache machine.

 

[celluloid]

RnR is a good example of a ride where OTS restraints ruin it, it’s a fun ride but I don’t think we’ve ever done it more than once a day because our heads bounce off the restraints so much it’s a headache machine.

Type of OTS make a big difference. New Vekoma ones are great.
Its not all or nothing as some extremes want to think

 

[hopemax]

This is very true and part of the reason the ride is still closed. It is a body type variable far more than it is Kevin's prexisting condition.

I'll also say neither my Dad or my husband had the same abdominal pain that I did. I tend to blame differences on my height (I'm only 5' and they are 10' taller). They both complained about the jerkiness and pain on Mine Cart, and I am like... "I mean it was mad mouse style jerky, but not enough to bother me."

 

[Jrb1979]

Type of OTS make a big difference. New Vekoma ones are great.
Its not all or nothing as some extremes want to think

First I will say yes the new Vekoma vest restraints are better than the old ones you see. I still hate them cause they take away from feeling the forces. I want to be able to float off my seat.

As far as Stardust Racers goes this is a side picture of the train. Viewing that I find it hard to understand how anyone can hit their head on that bar from their seat.

 

[Disstevefan1]

RnR is a good example of a ride where OTS restraints ruin it, it’s a fun ride but I don’t think we’ve ever done it more than once a day because our heads bounce off the restraints so much it’s a headache machine.

I don't remember the head banging on RnR (I guess in my case, not much up there to disturb ) , or if it did, it did not bother me so much that I remember it and I have been on it many many times.

Not many would remember this one, in Cypress Gardens, there was a hanging coaster that went just slow enough to bang your head like crazy. That one I remember.

 

[TalkToEthan]

possibly from his preexisting condition and/or medication he was taking.

I go far further than you………and say “PROBABLY”——-as in highly probable.

 

[flynnibus]

Catching up on the thread... I rode Stardust Racers 4 times,

Thx for sharing. SDR does seem to have a lot of bunny hill kind of sections for airtime and it looks like a lot of almost stall time as trains crest those hills. Did you get to ride in front vs further back and see much difference for your rides?

We're all used to the front part of a train being 'stalled' while the weight of the rear of the train crests the hill, and then you get the big push. While the rear gets that pull, followed by a let off as they crest hills.

To me that seemed like the most likely deceleration points... but I don't have the personal ride time. But your seating position can also significantly alter how positive g-forces are felt by you.. if not inclined back, g's in turns and bottoms of hills can easily feel like bringing you forward as you compress.

 

[celluloid]

First I will say yes the new Vekoma vest restraints are better than the old ones you see. I still hate them cause they take away from feeling the forces. I want to be able to float off my seat.

As far as Stardust Racers goes this is a side picture of the train. Viewing that I find it hard to understand how anyone can hit their head on that bar from their seat. View attachment 886020

I agree it makes one wonder but that is also the front row, not the row he was in makes it seem even further.

But also, not enough for me to say impossible or hit against the reatraint and grab bar itself.

A lot of variables.

 

[celluloid]

Not many would remember this one, in Cypress Gardens, there was a hanging coaster that went just slow enough to bang your head like crazy. T

Swamp thing. All vekomas of that type were terrible.

 

[flynnibus]

Now, I will say that although you and anyone else on this site has not stooped this low... there is a sizable portion of people that blame this man 100% for what happened including some comments I've seen that say that the FAMILY of this poor guy should have to pay Universal or other vacationing families for "the inconvience of not being able to ride this coaster" And this comment has gotten enough likes for me to think this is not a sole persons opinion.

And this is why you should stay off tiktok, reddit, and FB groups. Full of idiot posts who don't use a brain.

 

[flynnibus]

I agree it makes one wonder but that is also the front row, not the row he was in makes it seem even further.

In Crump's first conference, he claimed the victim was in the front row, left seat.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

I don't remember the head banging on RnR (I guess in my case, not much up there to disturb ) , or if it did, it did not bother me so much that I remember it and I have been on it many many times.

Not many would remember this one, in Cypress Gardens, there was a hanging coaster that went just slow enough to bang your head like crazy. That one I remember.

I agree, I've never had a noticeable amount of headbanging on rock n personally. Which I feel like I would remember as I specifically point out a ton of headbanging when I get off and I rode it twice this year so far.

 

[celluloid]

In Crump's first conference, he claimed the victim was in the front row, left seat.

Front row of his car. The car was closer to back of train But maybe I heard wrong.

 

[hopemax]

Thx for sharing. SDR does seem to have a lot of bunny hill kind of sections for airtime and it looks like a lot of almost stall time as trains crest those hills. Did you get to ride in front vs further back and see much difference for your rides?

Honestly, my memory about this part is not great. I think we were mid train for our of the rides, maybe farther forward the last ride. Riding in the back, back I would have remembered. My family hates me when that happens on Velocicoaster. My husband is a coaster wuss and I have a feeling of thinking, "good, this will be better for him," when we were queued in our row.

EDIT: I asked DH if he remembered when we were there in September. He said one ride was row 2, and the other like 6.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

Yes. I find it equally as disgusting that people want to say the coaster has zero culpability.

It does for sure here. That is certain at this point. What level the investigations will habe to show more.

Stardust racers does not have a restrictive height requirement. Neither me or my young son have strong cores. It is silly to say people know the guy was weak because he required a wheelchair.
The right row, the right force and a moment of unconsciousness. Its easy to see how a body could go forward and down. The reach that the head could reach a bar if that is what happened is an issue. And there is always a chance of a ride sudden stop so if(and I admit if) that is possible, it is most certainly a bad deaign oversight because restraints are often just as much as unpredictable and non routine as they are the typical.

For the record of my take, Universal is doing the right thing after the fact by keeping it closed and it likely going to make this exact thing as much as they know and can help be a non repeatable. No one is evil in the situation.

100% agree on this. I think people want an easy villian to blame here. And if there was someone to blame, it would be the coaster company on this, not Universal (afaik as they are clearly the experts here and if something wrong did happen on their end, I would suspect it was not something that was carefully considered) but I would also say that the company is not operating to be evil and as of right now, there is nothing to say that there was intentionally mallicious design/ride upkeep problems. This seems like an oversight (albeit a pretty major one) that should be rectified.

I don't think tearing down the whole coaster is even close to the actual solution and people use it as a strawman to say that this incident has "ruined" the coaster. If the problem is discovered to be on the coaster, then the clear problem is the restraints or train/cars itself which is a MUCH easier problem to rectify than tearing the whole thing down and starting again. Them having a little liability here doesn't mean suddenly "your favorite coaster is going away" which I think makes people so defensive.

 

[celluloid]

100% agree on this. I think people want an easy villian to blame here. And if there was someone to blame, it would be the coaster company on this, not Universal (afaik as they are clearly the experts here and if something wrong did happen on their end, I would suspect it was not something that was carefully considered) but I would also say that the company is not operating to be evil and as of right now, there is nothing to say that there was intentionally mallicious design/ride upkeep problems. This seems like an oversight (albeit a pretty major one) that should be rectified.

I don't think tearing down the whole coaster is even close to the actual solution and people use it as a strawman to say that this incident has "ruined" the coaster. If the problem is discovered to be on the coaster, then the clear problem is the restraints or train/cars itself which is a MUCH easier problem to rectify than tearing the whole thing down and starting again. Them having a little liability here doesn't mean suddenly "your favorite coaster is going away" which I think makes people so defensive.

Exactly. Thank you for stating this well. And at the end of the day, having only a lap bar is cool, but if aa secondsry reatraint like a soft vest or just some alterationsif means this makes the ride habe less chance of hurting for someone or their kid(does not even have to be a death one day but def this type should be non repeatable) than it is worth a different sensation on a still great ride.

Saying it ruined it is an extreme take.

 

[flynnibus]

Front row of his car. The car was closer to back of train But maybe I heard wrong.

I'm just repeating what Crump pointed out - with props. We have no official reference yet.

 

[Jrb1979]

100% agree on this. I think people want an easy villian to blame here. And if there was someone to blame, it would be the coaster company on this, not Universal (afaik as they are clearly the experts here and if something wrong did happen on their end, I would suspect it was not something that was carefully considered) but I would also say that the company is not operating to be evil and as of right now, there is nothing to say that there was intentionally mallicious design/ride upkeep problems. This seems like an oversight (albeit a pretty major one) that should be rectified.

I don't think tearing down the whole coaster is even close to the actual solution and people use it as a strawman to say that this incident has "ruined" the coaster. If the problem is discovered to be on the coaster, then the clear problem is the restraints or train/cars itself which is a MUCH easier problem to rectify than tearing the whole thing down and starting again. Them having a little liability here doesn't mean suddenly "your favorite coaster is going away" which I think makes people so defensive.

I agree they won't tear down the coaster. My problem from the onset is the narrative from media and a lot of non coaster enthusiasts.

Ever since this happened, there has been push from media and general public that coasters aren't safe, they have pushed the boundaries too far. I can't how many times I have read since this happened that all coasters that have inversions need either vests or over the shoulder restraints.
The ignorance from those who don't understand coasters is infuriating.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Exactly. Thank you for stating this well. And at the end of the day, having only a lap bar is cool, but if aa secondsry reatraint like a soft vest or just some alterationsif means this makes the ride habe less chance of hurting for someone or their kid(does not even have to be a death one day but def this type should be non repeatable) than it is worth a different sensation on a still great ride.

Saying it ruined it is an extreme take.

Yes, there are solutions that could add additional or different restraints to Stardust Racers without ruining it, for instance, the aforementioned new Vekoma vest restraints like what is used on Siren's Curse - which are very comfortable.

But the fear is, will this stop with just Stardust Racers? Or will every coaster with a lap bar only restraint be forced to get some sort of restraint modification? Because I know darn well that if all these coasters are forced to modify their restraints, most are not going to have flexibility for something comfortable to be added.