Stardust Racers Accident

[Clive]

So I'm confused here people seem to be think Universal might have done something wrong/we dont have enough facts but other places on the internet people are like this was on the person


Just so I know, did this person have surgery recently before riding? I've heard that and want to just know if thats true or just made up

I'm going to insist that we pump the brakes on this line of conversation. The man is dead, and strangers who never knew him on this forum don't need to pick apart his medical history.

It's been officially released that he had a pre-existing spinal cord condition, but he was independent and capable of transferring to the ride vehicle. Let's let the Orange County investigation play out. If they have additional information about his medical history that they see fit to release to the public, then that's for them to decide. We don't need to seek it out.

 

[jwbitterman]

I'm unsure of the value of keeping this thread open until we have hard proof of what happened.

Just my 1 cent.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I'm unsure of the value of keeping this thread open until we have hard proof of what happened.

Just my 1 cent.

I fully agree.

 

[Evan]

My two cents.

I’m of the belief that if you don’t enjoy a discussion, you don’t need to read or participate. I’ve been watching this thread thoroughly to get updates, or better understand what people think could have happened. Yes it’s a tragedy. Yes it’s sad. Yes it’s also worthy of discussion. Participate in good faith, don’t make up stuff or spread lies, and be kind to the victim and their family.

Everyone’s comfort with this sort of thing varies, but this is a public story, that should be discussed.

 

[Lucky Planet]

The problem with witnesses statements is that it was a chaotic and emotional situation. Humans are irrational, especially when emotions are involved. The details can get blurred very quickly.

Universal, most likely, has been gathering hard evidence this entire time. There’s no hiding from this, so you might as well find out as much as you can before you start making full statements to the public.

I saw the press conference with the family’s lawyer and my interpretation was that it was meant to influence the public’s perception. The lawyer was doing lawyer things, which also felt like speculation to me.

Regardless of the outcome, my prediction is that Universal’s rides will end up with more safety restrictions and become less “inclusive” to guests.

So I'm confused here people seem to be think Universal might have done something wrong/we dont have enough facts but other places on the internet people are like this was on the person


Just so I know, did this person have surgery recently before riding? I've heard that and want to just know if thats true or just made up

just thinking about this situation in general and not about this case but just thinking about the future and thinking about everyone else,
the conversation keeps being geared towards "preexisting conditions" and how the rides have warnings which is good that they do,
but it makes me wonder, how many people have health conditions or are taking medication?
doing some research it said that " at least 50% of people have a condition according to estimates from the Kaiser Family Foundation based on data from the National Health Interview Survey"

it makes me wonder if any possible future actions that theme parks will take or any alterations to the ride or just what possible steps will be taken.

obviously, it's up to us to decide what to ride, it's up to each person to take care of themselves and to know their limits,
but are the warnings clear enough? do rides need to have new videos about it more detailed information? how many people skip the signs?
just made me wonder.
how many of us are on medications?

 

[BBPH]

It’s interesting walking around the park today, have heard many many people talking about it.

I appreciate the ride being closed for whatever reason not quite privy to us, but it honestly seems to be fuelling alot speculation.

I’ve heard some wild takes today.

 

[Allison]

I'm unsure of the value of keeping this thread open until we have hard proof of what happened.

Just my 1 cent.

I do agree as the way the conversation is going elsewhere has me extremely concerned, however, I think things over here have leaned more towards the respectful side of discussion in remembering there’s a grieving family in the middle of all of this that wants to know what exactly caused their loved one to lose his life.

If this thread remains open, I hope that that fact will continue to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind before they hit “Post reply”.

 

[ChrisFL]

obviously, it's up to us to decide what to ride, it's up to each person to take care of themselves and to know their limits,
but are the warnings clear enough? do rides need to have new videos about it more detailed information? how many people skip the signs?
just made me wonder.
how many of us are on medications?

I'll admit that I'm on medications, and probably contributed to my nearly blacking out when I rode Hulk this past year, for the first time in several years...but I also realize that's on me, not the fault of Universal, B&M, etc. if I happened to fully black out or injured myself, etc. due to my being on medication that could cause that effect in certain situations (admittedly something I almost never experience but with those G-forces it makes sense)

 

[v0latilebear]

I'm unsure of the value of keeping this thread open until we have hard proof of what happened.

Just my 1 cent.

Before this thread was created the other thread that people would go to for celestial park discussion was getting filled up with talk about the accident. If all it does is keep other threads cleaned up I think it serves its purpose.

 

[maxairmike]

A dude died and we’re debating where he sat. I hate this thread.

You can thank the lawyer for that. No clue if he misspoke or was mixed up himself for the public statement, but it seems that has shaken itself out (front row of a car towards the back, front or back row of a car does matter a bit because it changes what’s in front of you to hit or come loose).

Personally, I am still where I was the night of the accident; an extremely unfortunate but also unlikely confluence of circumstances resulting in the unfortunate accident. I don’t think there’s a design issue in either the ride or vehicle/restraint, and I am very skeptical of what seems to be the current prevailing theory of him striking the bar at the front of each car. I think an adjustment in rider restrictions is the correct course of action to prevent similar accidents, not modification of the restraint/vehicle/ride profile. The only thing that would change my mind on that is if there’s another/multiple sections of the layout that fell outside of acceptable metrics similar to what required the trim(s) in the first half and were somehow missed/overlooked/only occur in specific conditions.

 

[JaySalahi]

. So there was liability with both the manufacturer and the operator, because neither situation should have been able to have happened. All this was found after the fact, but at the time the same thing happened where somehow Tyre was blamed for what happened to him, there was some awful comments blaming his size and other undertones.

The manufacturer was not at fault at all actually. The operator illegally changed a few the ride seats to let “larger” people ride. This was NEVER told to the manufacturer, they had no idea this was done.

The weight tho was an issue discussed because he was too big to ride according to the manufacturer for a regular seat. He fit because he fit in the adjusted seat the operator changed.the operator ignored multiple safety points in the manual. Hence why they closed down and the operator is out of business now and why all the other drop Towers they made still operate and opened right after. the one from this incident is up for sale online actually.

 

[tommyhawkins]

The manufacturer was not at fault at all actually. The operator illegally changed a few the ride seats to let “larger” people ride. This was NEVER told to the manufacturer, they had no idea this was done.

The weight tho was an issue discussed because he was too big to ride according to the manufacturer for a regular seat. He fit because he fit in the adjusted seat the operator changed.the operator ignored multiple safety points in the manual. Hence why they closed down and the operator is out of business now and why all the other drop Towers they made still operate and opened right after. the one from this incident is up for sale online actually.

Actually, the manufacturer Funtime was ordered to pay $310m to his family.

FL Jury Awards $310M in Tyre Sampson Wrongful Death Lawsuit | Jurimatic by Exlitem | Jurimatic by Exlitem

FL Jury awards $310M in damages to Tyre Sampson family after a tragic wrongful death lawsuit stemming from an amusement park accident.

jurimatic.com

Brian Mirfin is the connection between Slingshot Group and Funtime, you can google "Brian Mirfin Funtime" and find lots of examples of him being quoted. The group still exists and still operates all the others. Very very sketchy

Slingshot Group - Coasterpedia - The Amusement Ride Wiki

coasterpedia.net

 

[Lucky Planet]

The manufacturer was not at fault at all actually. The operator illegally changed a few the ride seats to let “larger” people ride. This was NEVER told to the manufacturer, they had no idea this was done.

The weight tho was an issue discussed because he was too big to ride according to the manufacturer for a regular seat. He fit because he fit in the adjusted seat the operator changed.the operator ignored multiple safety points in the manual. Hence why they closed down and the operator is out of business now and why all the other drop Towers they made still operate and opened right after. the one from this incident is up for sale online actually.

I always wonder what happened to the ride attendant from that day. I never heard anything.

I'll admit that I'm on medications, and probably contributed to my nearly blacking out when I rode Hulk this past year, for the first time in several years...but I also realize that's on me, not the fault of Universal, B&M, etc. if I happened to fully black out or injured myself, etc. due to my being on medication that could cause that effect in certain situations (admittedly something I almost never experience but with those G-forces it makes sense)

I don't know how true it was but the info on medications I found it said that at least 69% of Americans are on some medications. ( just different stuff) I honestly do not know the side effects for everything my family takes,
this tragedy just makes me wonder about stuff like that. I honestly never read side effects on some of the stuff my family takes. people just go to the parks without checking.
it made me wonder how many people faint on rides. when my aunt rode forbidden journey she got dizzy and light headed and nauseous. ( I think that my cousin also almost faint on the mummy but that was so many years ago)

You can thank the lawyer for that. No clue if he misspoke or was mixed up himself for the public statement, but it seems that has shaken itself out (front row of a car towards the back, front or back row of a car does matter a bit because it changes what’s in front of you to hit or come loose).

Personally, I am still where I was the night of the accident; an extremely unfortunate but also unlikely confluence of circumstances resulting in the unfortunate accident. I don’t think there’s a design issue in either the ride or vehicle/restraint, and I am very skeptical of what seems to be the current prevailing theory of him striking the bar at the front of each car. I think an adjustment in rider restrictions is the correct course of action to prevent similar accidents, not modification of the restraint/vehicle/ride profile. The only thing that would change my mind on that is if there’s another/multiple sections of the layout that fell outside of acceptable metrics similar to what required the trim(s) in the first half and were somehow missed/overlooked/only occur in specific conditions

the lawyer definitely made people speculate more, and be more worried, after he spoke I've even heard people question the safety of the rest of the parks. the other coasters. there's just a lot of speculation and also misinformation and wild theories.

I was seeing that Stardust Racers accessibility information lists rider requirements:
rider should be able to independently: maintain an upright position, support your torso, neck, and head while absorbing sudden and dramatic movements, brace your body with at least one natural upper extremity.
but what happens if you faint?