The reality is that it's the huge deceleration (as you suddenly stop) that kills you. ... One scenario in which you can die in free fall is that you are so high up (say above 100,000 feet or about 30 km) that the intense cold and lack of oxygen will kill.

How fast can a person decelerate?

As an example, if a street surface is dry, the average driver can safely decelerate an automobile or light truck with reasonably good tires at the rate of about 15 feet per second (fps).

Do people die from free falling?

There are no deadly effects from freefall. People survive from freefall every day, by deploying their parachutes before they hit the ground.