A devastating incident has cast a shadow over Universal Orlando’s new Epic Universe park after the tragic death of 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala. Zavala, who was a wheelchair user, boarded the Stardust Racers, a dual-launch roller coaster at the park. The ride, which reaches speeds of 62 miles per hour and climbs to 133 feet, features an inverted crisscross maneuver known as the “celestial spin.”
Tragically, Zavala lost consciousness while on the ride, and despite emergency medical intervention at the station, he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.
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Zavala’s tragic death on September 17 triggered an immediate shutdown of Stardust Racers, but Universal has moved swiftly to resume operations. Following the closure, Universal’s President and COO Karen Irwin issued a letter to employees thanking them for their support and acknowledging the difficult situation. Irwin also assured staff that the ride system had been thoroughly checked and was deemed safe to operate, asserting that there had been no malfunctions before, during, or after Zavala’s ride.
This heartbreaking loss has sparked an outcry from Zavala’s family, who are calling for accountability from Universal Orlando. While investigations into the incident are ongoing, the family’s grief is compounded by their outrage at Universal’s decision to reopen the Stardust Racers ride so quickly after the tragedy.
Despite the emotional toll of the incident, Universal announced that the ride would be available to guests again starting October 4, just weeks after Zavala’s death.
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The family’s lawyer, famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump, expressed deep concern over Universal’s actions, which he described as insensitive and reckless. Crump emphasized that the ride’s reopening poses a risk to public safety and called for a thorough examination of the ride before it is allowed to operate again.
Stardust Racers is evidence in an active death investigation. Reopening the ride before our experts can examine every component is unadulterated spoliation of evidence, a grave risk to public safety, and puts profit over people’s lives. Universal reportedly told employees the ride functioned as intended. If that is accurate, then the design itself is deadly. We are demanding that Universal pause the reopening, preserve all evidence, and allow our experts to inspect it. If they refuse, we will address Universal’s callous actions in court.
Despite these reassurances, the family remains unconvinced and continues to demand answers. In a public statement, Mr. Zavala’s family condemned Universal for reopening the ride without allowing independent experts to investigate the incident.
By rushing to reopen this ride as if nothing happened, Universal is showing great disrespect for Kevin’s life, our family’s pain, and the safety of every rider who steps onto that coaster. We are horrified that Universal would put the ride back into operation so quickly.
In addition to Zavala’s death, there have been reports of other injuries linked to Stardust Racers. One woman filed a lawsuit claiming she was hurt on the ride earlier this year, which Universal quickly settled. The details of the settlement remain private, but Crump pointed to these prior incidents as further evidence that the ride could be unsafe.
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While Universal’s investigations have led the company to assure the public that the ride has been thoroughly tested and found to be safe, the speed at which the park has moved to reopen has raised questions. Zavala’s family has called for a halt to the reopening until the investigation is complete, citing concerns about evidence being destroyed or overlooked.
With the investigation still ongoing, Zavala’s family remains vocal in their pursuit of justice. They are demanding that Universal delay the ride’s reopening and allow independent experts to conduct a full review of the ride’s design and safety features. The family’s demand for accountability has led to greater public awareness of the incident and sparked further discussions about the safety of theme park rides.
Do you think Universal should have waited longer before reopening Stardust Racers? Should they have allowed more time for investigation, or do you believe the park acted appropriately in resuming operations? Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments below.
How many investigations do they think need to be done? The autopsy established cause of death as an accident due to blunt trauma, its been established that the man had a pre existing condition that likely led to the injuries sustained and that he required a restraint while in his wheelchair, and it has been reported that he rode the coaster numerous times, likely leading to further aggravation of the pre existing condition. The coaster itself was investigated by the park, the manufacturers, the state and an unbiased 3rd party coaster engineer. It was reported that all operators did their jobs as require and all protocols were followed and that Universal has turned ovwr all evidence to authorities. It honestly sounds like they are pushing for more investigations until they can find an investigator willing to say something is wrong with the coasterto oroof the plaintiff’s point. That wouldbe prettysleazy, but that seems to be the way things are done these days. As sad as it is that someone lost their life doing something they wanted to do so much they ignored the warning signs, neither the park, the operators, the coaster nor the manufacturer should be held responsible for the poor, unfortunate decision of a grown man. Let’s face it, had he not been allowed to ride, they would have had this lawyer suing for discrimination against the physically challenged.