Man dies after ride on Stardust Racers at Epic Universe

That is interesting (bird strike), though you might expect that some witness would have come forward out there by now...and you'd think there would be evidence that they would point out pretty quickly to squash other speculation.

Touchdown:

You can’t rely on a potential 15 year old kid to do anything more specialized then register red light/green light and what is required to get green light

And that might be the reason why more restrictive boarding requirements aren't the worst idea. Will it exclude some people from riding who could? Yes, and that sucks. But if it would have also excluded this rider, he wouldn't be dead. That seems like a fair trade---even if that trade results in excluding me. It's just a roller coaster; I'll get over not riding it if that's what it means.

Dutchman:

large bird strike

If it were a bird strike, I assume there would be feathers everywhere and it would be pretty clear, pretty quickly what had happened.

The fact that this has gone several bird-hits-roller-coaster-rider posts without mention of Fabio is a great accomplishment.

You mean disappointment. One could infer that's partly because many folks aren't old enough to remember it, making the rest of us... old.

Ugh. 1999. You're probably right.

But that was the first thing I thought of.

I suppose all bird strikes are different (and the fact that I had to type that line makes me chuckle), but it seems like a long shot to me given my vast historical experience with large male models being hit by seagulls on high-speed roller coasters.

I typed out something about Fabio and deleted it, mostly because I was too lazy to go look for the photo.

That was in 1999? Good grief.

Lord Gonchar:

several bird-hits-roller-coaster-rider posts without mention of Fabio

BariMan beat you to it.

https://coasterbuzz.com/For...nk/1001969

Lord Gonchar:

The fact that this has gone several bird-hits-roller-coaster-rider posts without mention of Fabio is a great accomplishment.

Probably because it's such an asinine theory that no one thought "let's make a joke" when they saw it posted.

I was gonna go the "if captain Sully had been onboard, the guy probably would've survived" route.

[Checks Wikipedia]

Holy crap, that was in 2009! I was still a non-father.

PhantomTails

Probably because it's such an asinine theory that no one thought "let's make a joke" when they saw it posted.

You and I have very different senses of humor.

I don't laugh anymore at the thought of Fabio hitting a bird with his (beautiful?) face. It's like beating a dead horse. I couldn't make it funny anymore if I tried.

Okay, now I am imagining an arrogant Fabio rolling back into the station, nose tilted sky-high, giving a smug little hair-flip, while bird blood slowly trickles down his sun-baked face like some deranged cologne ad gone wrong.

I wasn't being funny. How do you hear "bird strike on a roller coaster" and not immeditely go there?

Doesn't matter. While we speculated, they had a press conference that we all missed:

Zavala became unresponsive while on the ride and was unconscious for most of it, Crump alleged during a Wednesday news conference. Officials previously confirmed that Zavala was unresponsive at the end of the ride, had a laceration (or cut) of some sort, and that CPR was actively being performed on the ride platform.

Crump also cited the Medical Examiner's report, noting that he believed "blunt force trauma" meant Zavala's head hitting some part of the ride, ride vehicle, or ride restraint multiple times. He said Zavala was unconscious for a majority of the ride. The autopsy has not been released.

Same lawyer that represented Tyre Sampson in the drop tower suit. (here)

The state also released findings that confirm what Universal said, the ride didn’t malfunction.

Going back to the press conference above family states that he suffered multiple head injuries and a laceration (they didn’t specify where or severity) and stated he was unconscious most of the ride. He was riding in the front row. This still doesn’t make much sense to me. Hope we get more clarity soon.

Lastly, as if this wasn’t evident when it came out he rode the ride 6 times that day, his mother called him a “roller coaster freak;” he’s was one of us.

So back to rag doll?

Touchdown:

Lastly, as if this wasn’t evident when it came out he rode the ride 6 times that day, his mother called him a “roller coaster freak;” he’s was one of us.

One of the first questions that was asked by the media toward the end of the press conference (about 1:04 mark) was whether Kevin had ridden Stardust previously and the response was he had not. Family did say he loved coasters and had ridden many other coasters. Someone also asked whether he tried the test seat at the entrance to the ride and response was that will come out later (not sure if they knew at this point).

One of the attorneys also referenced the park having videos that they have not yet shown to the family (or public). Crump later said with a huge park like Epic, there had to be cameras everywhere. So not clear if they know there are videos of what happened or just expect there to be such videos.

Mentioned (in response to a media question) that one of their primary focuses is on the restraints.

Press conference was really a dress rehearsal for presentation to a jury for Crump and his team. Can tell he/his team has a lot of experience with that and are good at it.

If he was on the front car, I fail to see how his head is going to hit the restraint, if if he could fully bend at the waist I fail to see how his head could hit it and there is nothing in front of him. I wonder if the trauma was caused by repeatedly hitting the back rest. It’s the same hard plastic as the seat is, it’s certainly harder than the inside of a football helmet. It also makes more sense given the forward momentum that the body would be jerked back.

The restraints can be an issue in two ways. One, he could have hit his head or another part of his body on the restraints. One of the reporters starting asking a question with "You noted that the medical examiner said that he hit his head multiple times...." One of the attorneys was quick to say that the ME did not say that and noted that witnesses have said that. When the reporter asked if its known where he his his head, the attorney said witnesses have answered that question but counsel did not provide an answer to the reporters--presumably the attorneys have talked with witnesses and know that answer (and counsel started talking about the video that the park has/must have but has not shown).

Other implication of the restraints could be if another design would have prevented this accident. Even if he head never hit the restraints themselves.

In this article they also say the disability had no role in the incident.

Attorneys for Zavala's family said Monday they believe he hit his head on a restraint during the coaster's downward thrusts and that he was unconscious for most of the ride. He had no medical issues before boarding the ride, they said.

Natalie Jackson, another of the family's attorneys, said they believe Zavala suffered repeated head strikes based on what witnesses have said. "His disability did not kill him," Jackson said. "It was the blunt force trauma."

If the disability had nothing to do with it, wouldn't people be getting knocked out left and right on coasters everywhere? The ride doesn't even seem remotely violent.

Yeah, if it's not the ride, and it's not the disability, then how does everyone else survive it? There's some missing detail.