News Guest dies, found unresponsive after riding Stardust Racers

[donaldtoo]

This whole thread needs a gummy or something…

Yea, it really needs to be retitled the “Guest dies, found unresponsive after riding Stardust Racers, wild or otherwise speculation thread”.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Why do you think it's distasteful to discuss safety measures? This whole thread is just speculation.

I didn't say I found it distasteful to discuss safety measures. I find it distasteful to speculate on the 'body type' of the man who died and how it contributed to his death. I understand people are having a discussion based on little information and some speculation based on various scenarios will happen. However, this line of discussion is a little too close to jumping to dismiss the likelihood of issues with the ride itself because the guest who died had a disability, often involving pure speculation about his spinal issues.

Because he died from blunt force trauma and the press release saying that the ride was operating as intended, to me it presents what most likely happened. I am not here to disrespect anyone's disability.

But the ride could be operating as intended and something occurred that had not been anticipated in the design or testing process. In other words, the ride operating as intended does not preclude there being some design flaw.

 

[donaldtoo]

I had a shot of bourbon and was told to not drink and post.

I already had 3 “high gravity” 24 ouncers today………..so far…….

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I had a shot of bourbon and was told to not drink and post.

To say that is slander…

Ok it isn’t…but it’s not cool no matter what it is

 

[Tom Morrow]

• Guests must be able to independently walk a short distance under their own power, including on stairs, in the event of an evacuation.

This was not a boarding requirement. But maybe it will become one as a result of this situation.

Edit: I see that you were proposing this as a new boarding requirement, but the post you quoted to reply to makes it misleading.

Clearly TMs didn't care about this... If they remembered to think about it at all.

The state already confirmed that the ride was functioning as intended and all procedures were performed correctly. "I bet those idiots didn't even do their job right" is such an uninformed "Facebook comments section" statement.

 

[flynnibus]

I didn't say I found it distasteful to discuss safety measures. I find it distasteful to speculate on the 'body type' of the man who died and how it contributed to his death

"Body type" is simply another way of saying "different people are different". Just because it doesn't apply to YOU doesn't mean it doens't apply to ANYONE, etc. It's not a pick specifically about disability - it's saying DIFFERENT PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT. Maybe his disability is a factor, maybe its not. But either way, all points current point to the accident being an intersection of him and the ride.

 

[Rich Brownn]

2 different coasters with 2 different trains with different seats on different tracks may not result in the same results. Not to mention we don't know exactly where he hit himself. I've heard some rumors about the back of the previous seat to me, it would make more sense if these were blows to the more fragile back/side of the head from his own seat.

Nonetheless, just because you can't actively reach a seat by yourself doesn't mean a body of deadweight unconcious can't as you are not longer dealing with your bodies pain and "too much" systems that tell you when you are overextending.

If this ride was dangerous for his body type, he should not have been allowed to ride so either the restraints didn't fit quite right or something else happened.

Either way I would definitely wait to see what the official investigation finds. This is a very very unfortunate tragedy and I do hope that the family gets some level of closure.

It's the way the restraints are designed. Although from different companies, the way they work are exactly the same. Its why its the preferred restraint now days from most coaster companies that aren't B&M

 

[Poseidon Quest]

It's the way the restraints are designed. Although from different companies, the way they work are exactly the same. Its why its the preferred restraint now days from most coaster companies that aren't B&M

Penguin Trek at SeaWorld has B&M's take on this new(ish) style of restraint. I expect to see more of that coming from them soon.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I had a shot of bourbon and was told to not drink and post.

3 shots of bourbon here.

Last post today.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I’ve certainly been guilty of an emotional post on these very boards before after one too many glasses of wine

Best be careful with drinking and posting, blow under the limit please.

 

[mkt]

The Sandi Streets vs Universal case has been settled and closed.

 

[Comped]

The Sandi Streets vs Universal case has been settled and closed.

Very interesting it wasn't dismissed out of hand, and was properly settled. Either she had merit, or Uni wanted it to go away and didn't care if it did... Certainly different from how everyone thought it would go!

 

[Rich Brownn]

Very interesting it wasn't dismissed out of hand, and was properly settled. Either she had merit, or Uni wanted it to go away and didn't care if it did... Certainly different from how everyone thought it would go!

9 times out of 10 they pay out because its cheaper than court costs regardless of any outcome. I believe the insurer pays it out anyways

 

[Rich Brownn]

Penguin Trek at SeaWorld has B&M's take on this new(ish) style of restraint. I expect to see more of that coming from them soon.

Haven't been on that but it also has no inversions, correct? I think B&M is still sticking with OTSR on those (B&M has turned into a very stodgy company unfortunately)

 

[mkt]

9 times out of 10 they pay out because its cheaper than court costs regardless of any outcome. I believe the insurer pays it out anyways

Due to the liability with operating a massive major theme park resort, the parks are basically self-insured for everything short of true catastrophes (think hurricanes, wildfires, etc.). Even then, the deductibles are astronomical - tens or even hundreds of millions before outside coverage kicks in. At that level, the risks get passed off to the massive reinsurers like Lloyd’s, Swiss Re, or Hannover Re.

For Universal, the in-house captives are One Belmont Insurance Co, Two Belmont Insurance Co, Three Belmont Insurance Co, and Western Range Insurance Company.
Disney’s setup (not directly relevant here, but still fun trivia) includes Buena Vista Insurance Co. and Alameda Insurance Co.

 

[BrianLo]

Not remotely surprised that was settled quickly. Even if the victim was egregiously in the wrong I’m sure they would have.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Due to the liability with operating a massive major theme park resort, the parks are basically self-insured for everything short of true catastrophes (think hurricanes, wildfires, etc.). Even then, the deductibles are astronomical - tens or even hundreds of millions before outside coverage kicks in. At that level, the risks get passed off to the massive reinsurers like Lloyd’s, Swiss Re, or Hannover Re.

For Universal, the in-house captives are One Belmont Insurance Co, Two Belmont Insurance Co, Three Belmont Insurance Co, and Western Range Insurance Company.
Disney’s setup (not directly relevant here, but still fun trivia) includes Buena Vista Insurance Co. and Alameda Insurance Co.

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.

 

[mkt]

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.

Having family at high levels in the industry and an attorney wife are valuable in this.

I know more about insurance and how it works than most people in the industyr, just from havnig grown up in the industry.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Having family at high levels in the industry and an attorney wife are valuable in this.

I know more about insurance and how it works than most people in the industyr, just from havnig grown up in the industry.

That’s a very valuable skill to have. Off topic but I was speculating that the cost of insurance contributed to the closing of the RoA in the Cars thread. Do you think insurance cost is as much of a factor in the RoA’s closing with Disney basically self insuring?

 

[ToTBellHop]

That’s a very valuable skill to have. Off topic but I was speculating that the cost of insurance contributed to the closing of the RoA in the Cars thread. Do you think insurance cost is as much of a factor in the RoA’s closing with Disney basically self insuring?

If it doesn’t matter in CA, why would it here?

AFAIK main considerations were: it’s a large amount of underutilized space in an otherwise over-crowded busiest theme park in the world that was making it very costly to expand the park’s footprint.