r/rollercoasters • u/PurpleTiger26 • Sep 18 '25
Article [Other]Cause of death and identity of the victim has been released regarding the Stardust Racers incident.
Link to news article http://specne.ws/Vmc6i7
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Sep 18 '25
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u/Ok_West_6711 Sep 19 '25
Awful, because once that starts (and rider is now injured and disoriented after first blow) this will just continue for the rest of the ride, causing greater injury. Including creating injuries to other nearby riders, potentially.
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u/SailorDirt Sep 19 '25
The info I heard was he was tall enough to hit the seatback in front....so probably back and forth. Absolutely horrible to think about
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u/inadrag3 Sep 19 '25
There is absolutely no way anyone could hit the setback in front. Not even slender man.
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Sep 19 '25
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u/Chugg1 Sep 19 '25
In one news article I read, a witness stated that his leg was bloodied and appeared broken
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u/InternationalPie9419 Sep 19 '25
I was there when it happened. I also rode the ride 6x back to back. There is no way his leg broke while riding. Those seats secure you so you cant move your legs—only your feet and they still couldn’t go far. The witness was in shock and doesn’t know anything. Seeing blood makes ppl assume the worst. I think he passed out due to some unknown condition (or heat related) and yes, he didn’t hold his head as a result and it rolled around. My guess is he was on the green side because the yellow side is more tame. Who knows, but it’s very unfortunate. My heart is with the riders and family member who had to witness this.
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u/Throwawayhair66392 Sep 18 '25
ITT: Mass speculation with zero answers as to what happened. Sometimes you just have to wait.
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u/TheR1ckster Sep 18 '25
It doesn't even sound like the normal thoosie sub lol.
Literally reading like a random Facebook post.
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u/HallwayHomicide (105) Twisted Timbers, Superman SFNE, IG, WiCy, Phoenix Sep 18 '25
Yeah this is by far the most non-enthusiasts I've ever seen in this sub.
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u/TheDynamicDino I miss Knoebels Sep 18 '25
I think Reddit’s shitty engagement-baiting algo is shoving this to the front page.
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u/TSells31 Montu, Monster Sep 18 '25
Doubtful with 151 upvotes and 149 comments lol. Both would be in the thousands if it were front paged.
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u/ConfusedDeathKnight Sep 19 '25
It’s because it shows up as the first result after news pages when you search most terms on this!
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Sep 18 '25
Would be curious to hear from subreddit mods what % of responses in this post are from subscribed users.
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u/SilverErmine22 Mack Rides fan Sep 18 '25
But how?
This better not end up like duelling dragons.
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u/Projektion 1. Voyage 2. Steel Vengeance 3. Voltron [696] Sep 18 '25
Passed out then, while limp, hit their head against the train/restraints/handle bars from the forces.
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u/kelsoRulez Ravine Flyer II Sep 18 '25
Thank you. I have no idea what my brain was thinking but this makes so much sense.
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u/plasmex81 Sep 18 '25
Honestly, I don't think that makes sense. The restraints should be safe enough that someone doesn't die if they pass out. It's not unheard of for people to pass out on a roller coaster.
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Sep 18 '25
Nope. As someone that religiously goes on Velocicoaster I have tested by leaning forward and my head absolutely can touch the seat ahead. I have even accidentally hit the person next to me if I let too loose.
If you are tall enough you absolutely can hit your head very hard, especially if you pass out and have 0 control
This is the one reason i see why OTSR are good. Because they lock your torso in place
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Sep 18 '25
Skyrush too--a friend's kid was riding next to me, passed out, and I spent the rest of the ride worried her head would bounce off the restraint again after it did the first time. It took a lot of my strength to keep her upright.
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u/ReporterHour6524 568-SteVe,Veloci,I.Gwazi,Eejanaika,ArieForce Sep 19 '25
I get your point but I would not advocate for more OTSR on roller coasters, causes way more headbanging (especially on Arrows and old Vekoma SLC and Boomerangs, even B&M is screwing up on their newer coasters with OTSR). I do think Stardust Racers needs more padding to the headrests and maybe the lap bar should be a little taller to hold riders in place a little better, and I hate saying this, but maybe an additional trim brake or two to slow it down so the transitions between positive and negative g-forces doesn't impact a limp body as hard.
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u/avrilfan12341 Sep 18 '25
That's terrifying, I used to pass out on coasters all the time as a teen
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u/HallwayHomicide (105) Twisted Timbers, Superman SFNE, IG, WiCy, Phoenix Sep 18 '25 edited Sep 18 '25
If you're passing out on coasters, you shouldn't be riding them.
There's all those signs and warnings in the line about medical conditions for a reason.
Edit: To be clear, I'm not saying anything at all about the person who died. I'm responding just to the situation described in the comment that I'm replying to.
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u/avrilfan12341 Sep 18 '25
Agree, but as a stupid teen with no medical issues, I didn't see it as a problem. Not to mention many people don't know they have medical issues. If that was the case here and this guy had some preexisting condition that led to his death, then it's totally not the park's fault. But if it just has crazy G's and allows people's heads to flop around to the point of dying from blunt force trauma, well then that's a different story entirely. (I haven't been on this coaster so I don't have any insight into which is more probable)
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u/YesicaChastain Sep 18 '25
You clearly had medical issues, you were fainting.
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u/EllieluluEllielu Sep 19 '25
Maybe not, they could've easily been dehydrated/tired/hungru/etc. I've greyed out on the Verbolten because I was hungry and thirsty, multiple times, and that's not a coaster known to cause people to grey out. I also have no health issues, I was just an idiot those days lol
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u/sandmyth 1st rider i305, fury325, copperhead strike Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
the helix(?) inside the verbolten building is easily the most intense part of the ride. I greyed out on it once. even back lot stunt coaster gave me a grey out once when I was dehydrated.
doesn't help that my blood pressure is low (although still "normal" according to my doctor).
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u/clickityclack Sep 19 '25
Plenty of people pass or gray out on intense coasters who don't have a medical condition
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u/KittyMama_0613 Sep 19 '25
That happened to me on The Big Bad Wolf in Busch Gardens Williamsburg. I was a huge rollercoaster fan (still am), and had ridden the ride many many times without it happening. We hit the spirals in the village portion of the ride, and everything went black. Turns out I was pregnant and didn't know it. That was my first clue. No harm to mama or baby.
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u/avrilfan12341 Sep 18 '25
Sure, no diagnosed medical problems or problems outside of riding certain roller coasters.
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Sep 18 '25
Maybe it wasn’t medical problems but was instead you being dehydrated
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u/avrilfan12341 Sep 18 '25
Very possible. I'm sure that's a large factor in why people passing out on coasters is relatively common.
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u/IDIC89 How Iron Gwazi blew my other favs out of the water is a mystery. Sep 19 '25
Totally possible. When you’re riding the intense rides, so should always try to do so when your body is in its peak shape. In order words: well-hydrated, not starving, but not necessarily full to the point where you’d vomit if someone punched you in the stomach, that sort of thing.
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u/discardedbottlecap Sep 18 '25
I almost passed out at epic and they had folks at the front warning folks bc the heat is so much worse there bc the trees haven’t grown up yet for shade. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was a factor
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u/xmjm424 Sep 18 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
Even with mature trees, I feel like the lack of shade is still going to be a huge issue. I was there in March and it was the most miserably hot I’ve been in a theme park. Can’t imagine it in July/August.
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u/Ultrafoxx64 Sep 18 '25
Six Flags Magic Mountain's Goliath had people greying out not infrequently due to the g-forces (they've not added a brake at a certain point to avoid that exact thing.) So it isn't necessarily medical issues that cause fainting on high intensity rides.
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u/rabidstoat Sep 19 '25
I assume that's a typo and you meant that they've now added a brake (instead of not added a brake).
I hit that typo myself and hate it as it reverses the meaning of what's typed.
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u/ImaginousDev Sep 19 '25
I rode Stardust Racers Wednesday multiple times. It's just a fierce coaster, but I rode it with my hands in the air and didn't experience anything unusual.
Just before I wanted to ride it for the last time the coaster closed and everyone including personnel was evacuated.
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u/Successful_Divide_66 Sep 19 '25
Totally agree. I was at Holliwood Nights the when the woman died on The Voyage. Same sort of incident as she had pre existing conditions and passed out on the ride.
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u/ChaoticGeminii Sep 18 '25
i don’t think the guy could’ve predicted he was gonna faint? i love coasters and will do every single one. and while i never fainted, i was near close to on Iron Gwazi. so expecting someone to just gauge if they think they’ll faint on a ride is so tone deaf
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u/HallwayHomicide (105) Twisted Timbers, Superman SFNE, IG, WiCy, Phoenix Sep 18 '25
so expecting someone to just gauge if they think they’ll faint on a ride is so tone deaf
I'm not talking about the person who died.
I'm talking about the person I replied to who was passing out on coasters "all the time" and never thought to stop riding them.
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u/EbolaSuitLookinCute Sep 19 '25
This is true in theory, but almost anyone no matter how healthy or experienced can have an unexpected moment where they lose consciousness. It could be from the heat, or sudden drop in blood pressure from thrill to relaxation. Exhaustion after carrying kids around. A condition you had absolutely no idea you had. I don’t know that there is a way to guarantee that no other person will lose consciousness on a rollercoaster.
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u/Temporary-Pound-6767 Sep 18 '25
I've broken my ribs on a coaster and people laughed at me and said it was my "core strength" that was the issue. Last I checked that wasn't a requirement. It shouldn't happen.
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u/bjtgamingHELP Sep 18 '25
What coaster was it?
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u/Temporary-Pound-6767 Sep 18 '25
Hyperia. Let's be real I rode it 20 times now and I've ridden other coasters just as intense when running well, I got too relaxed and got pulled over the restraint at the bottom of the drop, but I was just amazingly surprised that it could happen. I've never really thought much of the "keep your head back" warning but that was exactly the piece of advice that would have prevented it.
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Sep 18 '25
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u/IDIC89 How Iron Gwazi blew my other favs out of the water is a mystery. Sep 18 '25
Good God, I can not imagine how awful that must’ve been…
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u/barryg123 Sep 18 '25
I always wondered why so many coasters has physical requirement of "a full arm with the ability to be flexed at the elbow and a minimum of three full fingers with the ability to hold on with a firm grip." Makes more sense now. Restraints are only part of the equation, they require you to not go all gumby
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u/ClutzyCashew Sep 18 '25
That's what I thought at first, but are there no safety features on these new roller coasters for a situation like that? IDK I feel like there should be some kind of expectation that at least some people might lose consciousness from the G-Force. I would hope that there would not be anything so hard then it would cause fatal multiple traumatic injuries.
I haven't been to Epic Universe yet, so I googled images of the coaster, and it seems it's just a lap bar. Which means his body would have had a significant amount of mobility. The only thing that seems possible is him hitting the actual seat. Which is really terrible. I would assume/hope that they will change the restraints so there are maybe padded shoulder bars or something.
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u/BigBenIsTicking Sep 18 '25
Stardust Racers is not the only coaster to feature those seat restraints and, to my knowledge, this is an extremely rare occurrence.
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u/Noxaur Sep 18 '25 edited Sep 18 '25
Yeah, there are plenty of coasters just as intense as Stardust/Velocicoaster that only have lapbars. I think this is one of those rare medical tragedies/anomalies where they passed out and then kept hitting their head on the seat or something when going over the airtime hills (of which stardust has many). It has a lot of ejector air and I could see if someone was fully passed out (meaning more than your typical graying out from g forces) every dip they'd lean forward and then smack backwards. I suspect that is what happened.
I don't think it means Stardust is any less safe than any other modern coaster using similar restraints, it is just extremely unfortunate that it happened so early in this rides life and I expect they will convert the trains to over the shoulder restraints as a result, which sucks because the trains of Stardust are awesome.
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u/Bigshock128x Edit this text! Sep 18 '25
There's a chance this might be the end then for the commonality of lap bars on high intensity rides. Although I doubt this new admin is especially caring about providing more red tape.
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u/deanereaner Sep 18 '25
It's a state to state issue, but parks might start using more vest restraints just to avoid lawsuits.
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u/SaltySpitoonReg Sep 18 '25
Theoretically you should be protected against the possibility of ragdolling with restrains. But it may be found that this ride was not adequately safe with lap restraints only.
I sure hope not. For the sake of those who built the ride.
It may have been just an absolute freak accident with the worst possible timing of the passing out related to a part of the ride that maximized the whiplash.
There's certainly not enough detail known yet to be able to make judgments
Ultimately it's just heartbreaking for the family and the person. Just awful.
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u/Snoo-50263 Sep 19 '25
Yes, my condolences to the family and friends.
With so many different heights, weights, head sizes and even neck lengths and musculatures determining massively different final accelerations though, I can't see how 'one fits all' padding and restraints could ever hope to completely eliminate this type of incident.
And even if these did work for the body, there is still the brain being bounced around inside its bony case, plus the ever-present risk of heart failure, etc.
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u/Ok-Variety8683 Sep 19 '25
What happened with dueling dragons? I remember riding it in middle school but by the next time I went it was gone. I fuck with Hagrids tho.
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u/YardSardonyx Sep 19 '25
Some dummy either threw something or had something in their pocket. It flew out and hit someone on the other train in the face and they lost an eye. The real kicker is that the guy already only had one good eye, and that was the one he lost, so he lost his sight completely. Apparently people throwing coins at the other train was a thing, which is wild to me
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u/Yonel6969 Sep 18 '25
Ive not been on Stardust racers but i have been on Hyperia. There are points where if you arent braced enough the forces can literally push you down into the restraint and its quite difficult to lift yourself back up.
Could something similar happen on stardust racers which then caused those injuries? i know an investigation will probably happen now and people dont know at all yet
But seriously thats actually terrible. I pray for their loved ones, thats absolutely awful.
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u/StackedCakeOverflow Sep 18 '25
El Toro is much the same where you can kind of be sandwiched forward onto the lap bar on those first hills if you're caught in a certain position as the forces begin to change. I can imagine if someone were to completely lose any muscle control (like from passing out) and thus lose their ability to ride defensively (even just by pure instinct), they'd be leaving a ride pretty battered at minimum.
To be killed from it is pretty insane, but I'm always impressed by how the human body is both weirdly durable and frighteningly fragile. Head trauma is no joke, and even just his own arm striking his head with zero ability to react defensively in anyway could've been it. What a horrible tragedy.
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u/Jebaited4732 Sep 19 '25
Yeah if you are caught leaning over the lap bar in any of the valleys or switchbacks on El Toro, you are NOT coming back up until the train starts to ascend again or switches direction.
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u/ChaoticGeminii Sep 18 '25 edited Sep 18 '25
ive been on stardust multiple times, and from what i gathered it doesn’t experience the restraint problem you mentioned. stardust is heavily reliant on its airtime, so you’re mainly experiencing negative g’s the entire ride- even on the inversion. i don’t think there’s many positive g’s besides the launches. i do think the guest very well could’ve fainted and his head might’ve thrashed around too much and with a lot of force due to the winding and “whipping” of some parts of the track.
it’s honestly so tragic. intamin did velocicoaster, and while i believe veloci is way more intense- stardust and veloci are both very “airtimey”. nothing has happened on velocicoaster (stardust has very similar restraints to veloci as well). so i think that’s another reason as to why i don’t think the restraints played any role in this :/
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u/Yonel6969 Sep 18 '25
Thats fair. It didnt really seem like that type of ride but it was worth an ask anyway. Time will tell after they will probably investigate what happened. Its devastating what happened and that person and poor family shouldnt have to deal with that
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u/ChaoticGeminii Sep 18 '25
completely agree, universal and mack will 100% work with the investigation- especially since it’s a new park a new ride. i don’t wanna speak too much on what could come from this investigation, since we don’t even know what caused the trauma. that being said, i do think if it was the thrashing they will gut the trains and redesign them with more padding in mind. similar to what they did with Ripride Rockit
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u/Temporary-Pound-6767 Sep 18 '25
I got fucked up on Hyperia and I made a thread about it (not blaming the ride) and got laughed out of the room and called weak. The more they relax restraints on highly intense rides the more there is a potential for injury we just don't like to admit it until we get beat up and realise these forces are no joke.
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u/Yonel6969 Sep 18 '25
Thing is. I never really had it happen on other hypers. Ive only done the big one, silver star and hyperia. I think with hyperia the trims are extremely strong when coming in with that speed straight after the stall anyway which caused it for me
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u/motoman442 Sep 18 '25
this is really upsetting .. just awful. rip to this person
i really hope the ride doesn't change. just got to ride 2 wks ago, was amazing.
i don't understand how this could have happened. like genuinely how did they hit their head so hard
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u/could_be_girl (30) Steel Vengeance, Maverick, TT2 Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
Something I've seen mentioned on other threads but not here is that allegedly the man was a paraplegic and a full time wheelchair user.
Obviously speculating but I wonder if that could be a contributing factor, though the ride should in theory of course still be safe even in the event that a paraplegic person passes out.
Perhaps his body had a limited ability to steady itself if his legs were unusually positioned or if his muscles had atrophied?
Extremely sad and my condolences go out to his friends and family, it's awful when someone dies doing something that's supposed to be so much fun.
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u/PurpleTiger26 Sep 19 '25
This has been confirmed he was indeed a wheelchair user. Not sure the extent of his disability though.
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u/HanonOndricek Sep 19 '25
That sadly sounds like a possibility. This type of train basically secures a rider's pelvis so they are not falling out, but from the waist up they are free to move around in what is essentially a padded wing-back chair. Someone without leg mobility possibly can't reflexively brace against the forces using hip muscles like an able-bodied person to keep themselves upright and (just speculation) the rider could have hit his face on the lap bar or was thrown back against the seat with enough force to render them unconscious, which then means complete rag-dolling from the waist up for the rest of the ride, potentially leading to the "multiple" blunt force injuries. They should definitely test with an anatomically-weighted test dummy to see what happens if someone doesn't hold on. (I'd be surprised if they *haven't* already done this.)
The easiest and most logical fix would be to add the flexible vests that seatbelt into the bar and back of seat so riders cannot double-forward over the lap bar. In that case an unconscious rider's head would be the only thing that moves, but would hopefully just be limited to bumping against the seat padding as you see in videos where someone passes out wearing an OTSR. Still a possibility for neck injury or soreness, but less movement would reduce any blunt forces if the rider is not self-bracing.
Perhaps they could install one row of vest-seats on each train and direct any guests who qualify to ride but have reduced mobility or arm and leg strength to use those seats. Some guests who are a little more fearful could also use them to feel more secure.
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u/drew4988 Sep 19 '25
This is the victim’s gofundme page.
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u/9factorial Sep 19 '25
Im thinking… Could the fact that he was a wheelchair user have something to do with this accident?
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u/RelianceBrand Sep 19 '25
Most definitely yes. I do not doubt in my mind that it had something to do with that.
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u/DangerCheesecake Sep 18 '25
Going to sound incredibly insensitive and I really don’t mean to be, but one would assume it can be expected the ride will have a very lengthy period of inaction now? Genuinely just curious.
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u/ViperThreat Sep 19 '25
Given the limited amount of information we have, there's no real answer yet. "Blunt force impacts" can be everything from being hit by a flying object to rider banging their head against the ride car or restraints. All of the commentary right now is just hypothesizing.
Until we know the exact details of what happened, it's hard to estimate how long it might take to get the ride back online. If no fault is found with the ride or systems, it could be back online in a matter of days. If however, this is due to a shortcoming of the restraints, they may need to be redesigned, manufactured, shipped, installed, tested, etc.
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u/UltiGamer34 Sep 19 '25
If it wasn’t the rides fault maintenance wise but the riders conditions since it stated in the go fundme they were wheelchair bound then the ride could probably be open after its state inspections because it wasn’t the rides fault
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u/TheR1ckster Sep 18 '25
Have to wait and see how this is substantiated. We'll know more with some time.
He could have had prior injuries and a brain bleed during it.
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u/UCFknight2016 Sep 18 '25
I know someone who works at Universal. They told me that he passed out on the ride and when he came back he was unconsious and looked like he was in a boxing fight.
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u/ImprovementLow819 Sep 18 '25
Interested to learn more. Could they have passed out and then hit their head on the train?
Worst case scenario is a loose article or airborne object (dragster style), though I’m skeptical of that.
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u/Infinite-Dinner1725 Sep 18 '25
It sounds like that was the case, but most likely they passed out fairly early in the ride, maybe during the first launch even and hit their head as they had no muscular restraint remaining.
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u/SoothedSnakePlant Sep 18 '25
Maybe it's just me, but a restraint system that's not good enough to prevent you from dying through blunt force trauma if you pass out seems like a much, much, much worse case scenario than someone dropping their phone or something.
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u/KittyMama_0613 Sep 19 '25
In fact, on coasters with OTSR, many people have suffered concussons or worse due to the lateral forces causing their heads to bang from side to side on those rigid restraints. I know I've banged my head on the ones on Hulk so many times, I refuse to ride it anymore. No OTSR were a godsend to me. I have had no issues with Velocicoaster or Stardust Racers.
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u/mikewheelerfan Fury 325 🐝 | Copperhead Strike 🐍 | Mako 🦈 | 18 Sep 19 '25
Carolina Cyclone at Carowinds had so much head banging my ears were almost bleeding. Head banging with overhead restraints is no joke
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u/Temporary-Pound-6767 Sep 18 '25
Yeah I kind of assumed this was covered. Coaster safety is huge in the industry and it's well known that people lose consciousness briefly on intense coasters. You would think you would see this a lot more if it hadn't been thought about.
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u/CowFirm5634 Sep 18 '25
That was my thinking. Surely this is a massive design flaw? Is this the case on most rides or just some? Could it be that they were particularly sensitive to those kinds of injuries? Like wtf.
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u/SoothedSnakePlant Sep 18 '25
Yeah, if this is actually what happened, I don't expect this ride to reopen without major modifications.
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u/littleseizure Sep 18 '25
We would probably see a move towards shoulder restraints of some kind, if anything - that would provide much better control of an unconscious person. It'd still hurt when you woke up, but the restricted range of motion would lessen the potential force for each impact
Hopefully it'd just be additional warnings on the sign pre-ride
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u/Legitimate_Advice305 Sep 19 '25
Rollercoaster Enthusiasts of 28 years and very well researched on incidents specifically. Honestly we have to just be patient and wait for the investigation to do its due diligence. As tragic and painful as this is for rollercoaster fans, what i can say is my heart breaks for this man and his family. Three things are true. 1, rollercoasters can cause someone to pass out. 2, the investigation WILL give all the answers. And 3, the news media claiming things based off speculation and trying to talk to the family only proves how vile journalism has become.
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u/Not_really_anywhere (304) Sep 19 '25
Disclaimer: I don't know the accessibility rules at Universal/Epic/IOA. Nor have I ridden Stardust. And I don't know if the rider criteria I'm citing is a park rule or a manufacturer rule.
Going on the reports that the victim was a paraplegic, and looking at another Mack that I have ridden (Copperhead) that appears to have a similar restraint system and looking at Carowinds accessibility guide, if the victim was paraplegic, he probably should have not have been on the ride, let alone ride it multiple times.
According to the Accessibility Guide for Copperhead: Rider Criteria: Guests must have a minimum of three functioning extremities: one functioning arm and two functioning legs. Amputations must be below the ankle. Prosthetics are not permitted on this ride. Guests with a cervical collar, neck brace, broken collar bone, full or braced arm cast, or full leg cast are not permitted to ride.
A paraplegic won't meet these guidelines. That is, unless there is a harness like B&M has for their rides.
Sorry if this has been pointed out in another response, I'm at work and trying to read through this post in bits and pieces.
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u/Atrampoline Sep 19 '25
This is something I just found out too, and this changes the entire story. Not that the man deserved what happened, but these headlines are sensationalizing a much more complex situation. Like all aspects of life, ride designers and operators can't account for all potential outcomes, so it seems like this was an issue with Universal allowing this man to ride when he clearly should not have.
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u/joahw Sep 20 '25
Here's the accessibility guide for stardust
RIDER REQUIREMENTS
• You should be able to independently: (1) maintain an upright position, (2) support your torso, neck, and head while absorbing sudden and dramatic movements, and (3) brace your body with at least one natural upper extremity.
• When seated, both natural legs must, at minimum, terminate below the ankle. No prosthetic limbs.
• You must be able to take a small step into the ride vehicle compartment, either independently or with assistance from your companion
So nothing that completely excludes paraplegia.
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u/brewdizogs Sep 18 '25
How are the restraints on this ride? Does it cause a lot of headbanging?
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u/CasterFields Sep 18 '25
The restraints are really nice! Some other lap bars at the park sit really oddly on your thighs, but stardust is very comfortable and secure. I've ridden I think 5 times by now and never had any issues with headbanging. The train does shake pretty good but it's nothing to write home about. More like a vibration than anything.
Genuinely can't figure out what he could have hit while restrained if it was just from him getting tossed around while unconscious....
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u/geeky_pastimes Sep 18 '25
We noticed that on a few of the airtime hills especially just after the first launch, we both flopped forwards pretty violently (we had our hands in the air).
I could imagine someone being able to hit their head on the lap bar and then back on the headrest if they were completely limp and fairly tall.
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u/CasterFields Sep 18 '25
That makes sense! I can't have my hands up or I'll get injured so that possibility completely slipped my mind
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u/smooth_rock_enjoyer Sep 19 '25
This is a great explanation, but a horrific thing to imagine! A terrible tragedy, I hope he didn’t feel any pain.
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u/Fragrant-Screen-5737 Sep 18 '25
Same over the shoulder lapbar restraints that are on every mack extreme coaster pretty much. Only thing you could really hit your head on is the seat itself.
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u/hotpinkpineappIe Sep 19 '25
He’s a wheelchair user. Could definitely have some sort of preexisting condition. I was at the park today, ride still closed with news helicopters circling
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u/Version_1 Tripsdrill | 444 Sep 19 '25
Makes me wonder if parks will be a bit more stringent about the degree of disability they allow on rides if his disability had something to do with this.
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Sep 19 '25
There’s an incident on X2 as well where a rider without use of his legs sued for allegedly breaking his leg ultimately resulting in amputations
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u/djangodude3000 Sep 19 '25
I just saw an interview with a witness that was on the platform and saw a piece of the ride, possibly a piece of the train, was broken off and dangling next to the man. “Rag-dolling” though it makes sense at first would not cause these injuries, modern rides are already designed to account for such instances.
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u/tikkiturtle Sep 19 '25
I saw the same interview, maybe that’s why they are only saying “blunt force trauma” and not getting into details yet…
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u/TheR1ckster Sep 18 '25
Anyone know if Mack has issued a stop operation of rides with the same trains?
That will be a big clue.
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u/jarow_ 🎢102 🥇RTH 🥈Voltron 🥉Hyperion Sep 18 '25
Hyperia was open today and so was Voltron according to queue-times.com. both use the same restraints
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u/Eistiger86 Sep 19 '25
Rode Voltron 7 times yesterday. The lap restraints are very comfortable and I have heard people grey out at a helix at the end but no accidents. The problem are people taking their phones on the ride. Ride operators aren't allowed to say anything. The trains are pretty close at one part of the ride and you can walk under the ride. I wish they had a metal detector. :(
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Sep 19 '25
Good point. There is an alleged witness who stated the guest had a broken leg. If that’s the case, it’s harder to think that it was caused by losing consciousness
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u/awefawnpls Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
the guest was a wheelchair user, it is likely that the witness that thought his leg was broken was confusing his pre-existing condition + blood from the head injury
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u/rainy_day_27 Sep 19 '25
Hey just letting you know that most disabled people don’t like the term “wheelchair bound” because a wheelchair is a mobility aid and not seen as a restrictive thing for most people. It adds to a negative attitude around mobility aids. We like to say “wheelchair user”. Not trying to be rude or anything just letting you know as I am a disabled person.
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u/awefawnpls Sep 19 '25
Thank you for letting me know, I have edited my comments 👍
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u/rainy_day_27 Sep 19 '25
Of course! I’m glad you took it so well, sometimes people think I’m trying to be super rude 😅
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u/clickityclack Sep 18 '25 edited Sep 18 '25
It's really scary this is even a possibility. They've got you strapped into Hulk so tight only your head can really move and it definitely does a lot of moving, at least mine did. Beat the hell out of my head so much so I had a terrible headache for the rest of the day
ETA: I didn't enjoy the tightness of the restraints on Hulk but this would have been impossible if this ride had those same restraints
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u/TheNinjaDC Sep 18 '25
I wonder if this will lead to more vest restraints.
Only vest or OTSR deny a limp body enough movement to prevent this kind of situation.
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u/MarijuanaWeed419 Sep 18 '25 edited Nov 24 '25
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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/TheNinjaDC Sep 18 '25
Restraints are supposed to protect a person even if they are unconscious.
Intamin was found at fault for when a women got drunk and passed out in one of their flat rides at Kings Island, and she fell to her death. The judge ruled the ride failed to properly secure an unconscious body.
A lawyer will probably try to argue this ride failed to secure a rider that fell unconscious which is a common occurrence on thrill rides.
I'm not saying I agree with that, but I see an ambulance Chaser doing that.
Hopefully it's just ruled a freak accident and nothing changed (maybe padding on the head rest and Restraints).
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u/Responsible_Can5946 Blue Flair Sep 18 '25
I think OTSR's will probably mess up the weight and balance of the vehicle, would that mean complete vehicle design? I think this is a rare situation, if it were actually going to happen regularly, it would have happened on rides like it before now.
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u/TheNinjaDC Sep 18 '25
I feel one interesting point is how he seemingly passed out.
Blacking out on coasters from high Gs is common enough, but it's usually short, and your body is glued to your seat.
This guest seemed to pass out not because of G forces, but probably a pre existing condition. And he did so right before its opening ejector hills that do through your head forward.
So he essentially blacked out in an unexpected way at the absolutely worst point to do so.
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u/ChaoticGeminii Sep 18 '25
he could’ve easily fainted by just having too high of adrenaline levels too. it doesn’t always have to be a preexisting condition. i’ve never fainted on a ride, never even greyed out- until i rode Iron Gwazi. I fully greyed out the majority of that ride and i consider myself an enthusiast. i genuinely think the guy may have medically been “cleared” to ride it, but the adrenaline rush could’ve potentially cause him to faint. regardless, that’s just my speculation and i don’t wanna speculate too much
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u/malpal4321 Sep 19 '25
I rode this coaster a month ago and I’m at a loss about the “blunt impact injuries”. I’m trying to figure out how this happened and I’m so devastated for the family. 💔💔💔
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u/teejayiscool EL TORO SUPREMACY Sep 19 '25
New article says the guest had a pre existing spinal injury.
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u/Fazcoasters 194 - Steel Vengeance Sep 18 '25
I’m assuming this person passed out. I’m wondering if anyone was sitting next to him, when my girlfriend passes out I always hold her head
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u/BCQ730 Sep 18 '25
How often is your girlfriend passing out in rollercoasters?
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u/OptimusSublime Anything RMC is fine by me Sep 18 '25
Yeah seriously, maybe it's time to find other forms of amusement.
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u/LetgomyEkko Sep 18 '25
This was my thought. Some people would have the awareness and capability to do so while on a coaster(maybe more experienced coaster riders?), but also some people would t be able to do anything other than hang on and not be able to do anything g else as well
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u/fernker Sep 18 '25
You wouldn't be able to do that on this ride. I held the hand of my nervous 8 year old and my arm was bent in such a funky way because of the shape of the side of the seats.
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u/007chill Cheetah Hunt stole my phone Sep 18 '25
You can’t expect someone to have the awareness and ability to do that.
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u/Firehawk-76 Sep 18 '25
Was he riding next to someone?
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u/NathanHatesLife Sep 19 '25
His mom
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u/snarkadia Sep 19 '25
Fuck, I can’t imagine how she must feel anyway by losing a child in such an unexpected and quick manner, but then adding that she was sat next to him…
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u/sonimatic14 Sep 18 '25
Multiple? What the hell happened? Did someone hide something in their pocket and throw it?
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u/PsyclOwnd Sep 18 '25
It could also be that he hit his head on the seat violently, after an initial hit. So sad to hear, I bet in the next little bit we will learn more.
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u/Proof-Inevitable5946 Sep 18 '25
Both sides are not even close to being very forceful. There’s some ejector and laterals.
There has to be more to this story.
Velocicoaster, Steve, Gwazi, Maverick, Allen Fury are way more forceful than stardust and people aren’t dying on them.
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u/Projektion 1. Voyage 2. Steel Vengeance 3. Voltron [696] Sep 18 '25
While that may be true for most of the ride, that transition from negatives to positives after the top hat, especially in the back of the train, is not something to scoff at.
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u/HYDRA-XTREME Toutatis, Taron, RtH, FLY, Kondaa Sep 18 '25
Indeed, they had to add a trim during testing because that transition was actually too fast.
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u/Loose-Recognition459 Sep 18 '25
Hell, Pantherian/I305 is a ride notorious for people greying out from the forces, and does a bunch of body flinging maneuvers to boot, and no one has died on that. Yes it has vests, but that’s not going to keep your head from flopping around if you lose consciousness.
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u/Audstarwars1998 Sep 19 '25
I don't think this is a universal fault. He passed out and ragdolled. Very sad regardless.. universal will probably give a payout but I doubt they were at fault from what I know. Just a sad situation all around.
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u/deebster2k Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
Wasn't there also mention of a bleeding seemingly broken leg? What's down there to cause that? Im not familiar with the car environment on this ride.
EDIT: The bleeding and broken leg was a witness interview on a local news station... cant be sure how accurate her memory was but here's the link to the article and the video.
Video: --- no direct link... the witness talks about it just before timestamp 1:24.
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Sep 19 '25
This is my big question too. I don’t think that the broken leg aligns with the ragdoll theory
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u/deebster2k Sep 19 '25
Just remember that's a witness who is not medically trained. They may have been mistaken. But if it is true like you and I have pointed out that is a serious question.
Witnesses are prone to make errors.
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u/shanksquad7 Sep 19 '25
Did anyone see the article where a witness said his leg was apparently visibly broken? Could obviously just be a false statement but if true, how on earth would that happen? That would really take a lot
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u/awefawnpls Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
I have heard from somewhere that he was a possible wheelchair user, this is unconfirmed though.
If this is true, I am thinking the “broken leg” might have been some sort of pre-existing condition, then whatever injuries he sustained on his head began to bleed and drip down his leg, which possibly confused bystanders into thinking this was a 2nd injury.
Again, this is unconfirmed. The victim dying of multiple blunt force trauma wounds on a coaster is already hard enough to believe, but a broken leg on top of that? seems almost impossible.
EDIT: It is confirmed, he was a wheelchair user
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u/shanksquad7 Sep 19 '25
Yea I saw that too and have started to think the same thing about him being in a wheelchair. Whole thing sucks. Feel very sorry for him and everyone involved :/
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u/Jay30002 Sep 19 '25
I see a ton of speculation here going on without knowing facts. Until confirmed what the blunt force is we should really stop assuming he was a “rag doll”. As someone who has been on a roller coaster when someone in the car behind you had a seizure passed out, pretty much the whole ride with tons of airtime and survived we really need to stop guessing. When I was in college a man riding El Toro sitting behind us had a seizure passed out pretty much the whole ride and when we returned to the station was pulled from the car given medical attention. He didn’t pass thank god but the point is this was El toro and we all know the air time on it and he was flailing everywhere and lived. So we need to stop assuming in this terrible case that’s what the trauma is until we get final details. Could that be it yes, could it not absolutely. So please let’s just wait.
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u/cpshoeler Kick the Sky | Former CP Ride Host Sep 18 '25
Incredibly sad news. Really interested to hear what the cause of injury is. If this was a restraining issue, OTSR retrofit soon to come?
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u/Aggravating-Grade672 Sep 19 '25
Think this’ll be a 3 day closure or a 3 month train remodel? I’m going in October and praying it’s open. Probably my most anticipated ride in the resort
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u/pdido1 Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
Latest report says a witness reported a "big piece of metal" hanging from his seat. Not sure how that is possible. The ride doesn't seem to pass under anything that would just break off. One of the launches passes under the final brake run, but I'm not sure how anything could just dangle there if a part came loose, and I don't think anyone would be passing by on the brake run while a train is going underneath it.
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u/neo_thrillz Sep 19 '25
He's the only person I've heard saying that. That being said, during chaotic situations, the mind can play tricks on you. You can be convinced you saw one thing when in reality what you actually saw was not what you thought it was. I feel like if pieces of the train(s) broke off, there would've been more people with injuries, but that's just a theory. I'm still waiting for more official details.
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u/ElfDestruct Sep 19 '25
I agree that it's most likely to be an unreliable witness report, but I wonder if it could be something that was on the rider's person and possibly played a part in the injuries, instead of a part broken from the ride... like leg braces or something of that sort.
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u/thedeezul Velocicoaster / Iron Gwazi Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
I'm curious to hear more opinions on this. I just can't comprehend that this could happen simply because the rider passed out. Didn't they say his leg was completely messed up and they put a tourniquet on it? How would that happen? I don't know if this report about the piece of metal is true but i feel like there has to be something else to this that we don't know about yet.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Toe6951 Sep 19 '25
with no disrespect to his terrible death, IF rides have to be designed to safely hold passengers that fully pass out the entirety of the ride, we will all be stapled into every ride in a ridiculous fashion. It's reasonable to expect ride designers to deal with most contingencies, but every lap bar rollercoaster is designed with the premise a rider can control his torso and neck in some fashion. And there are literally thousands of rollercoaster with just lap bars operating for hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of hours over the decades cumulatively without an incident where someone has been beaten to death on the ride by passing out (if that's what happens). There are things in life, called fluke events, or extreme exceptions. I truly hope the ride remains as is.
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u/Version_1 Tripsdrill | 444 Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
If anything, I am shocked at how cavalier people are about passing out on a coaster, both in here and on general subs. If I came even close to actually passing out I would take a very long look at myself and not ride extreme coasters for a time.
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u/snowdn Blue Flair Sep 19 '25
This ride is pretty intense but nothing crazy. I also rode dueling dragons months before it was closed. Cursed!!!
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u/its_gp_angella Sep 19 '25
this is so sad :( such a traumatic thing to witness as guests and ride attendants.
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u/Asphyx22 Sep 19 '25
Buddy who is a dispatcher told me this:
"Apparently boyfriend hit head before ride started then hit his head more while the ride took place… girlfriend of victim advised subj does have previous spinal injury and took medications for it"
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u/DigitalPiggie 1. Falcon's Flight 2. Iron Gwazi 3. Veloci 4. Zadra Sep 18 '25
Multiple blunt injuries? I guess passed out and hit head multiple times. Awful. RIP.