The Florida man who died after riding a new rollercoaster at Universal’s Epic Universe theme park was killed by blunt impact trauma, according to his autopsy. The rider, later identified as 32-year-old Kissimmee resident Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, was discovered unresponsive on the Stardust Racers rollercoaster on Wednesday night. He was transported to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead. Orange County medical examiner Joshua Stephany ruled Thursday that Zavala’s death was accidental and caused by “multiple blunt impact injuries.” While Stephany did not release further information, his report raised concerns that the infrastructure of Stardust Racers, which opened just four months ago, may have played a role in Zavala’s death. International Theme Park Services CEO Dennis Spiegel told the Associated Press that the autopsy report raised more questions than answers, adding, “Was [Zavala] banging around? Was he in his seat properly? Was it an accident caused by the ride or him doing something?” Universal Orlando Resorts did not immediately return the Daily Beast’s request for comment, but a spokesperson previously said the company is “Fully committed to cooperating with this ongoing investigation.” The park’s safety guidelines warn that Stardust Racers includes “sudden and dramatic acceleration, climbing, tilting, an inversion, and dropping,” and “employs safety restraints which may not accommodate certain people due to their body shape or size.” The ride remains closed as of Thursday evening.
Read it at Associated Press
