CASE CLOSED

Rollercoaster Rider’s Cause of Death Revealed

Kevin Rodriguez Zavala sustained fatal injuries while riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster on September 17.

A medical examiner ruled the death of a 32-year-old on a rollercoaster at Universal Epic Universe in Orlando was accidental. Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, who used a wheelchair due to his spinal cord atrophy, had blunt-impact injuries after riding the Stardust Racers ride on September 17. He died later at a local hospital. “Because it was determined that no criminal acts occurred in this case, this concludes the Orange County Sheriff’s Office role in this case,” the office wrote in their December 11 report. In the report, his girlfriend, Javiliz Cruz-Robles, said it took several tries to “get the safety bar to secure around Kevin.” The ride operator said they “followed proper procedures.” However, during the ride’s first drop, she said that he “partially came out of his seat and hit his head on the metal bar in front of them,” according to the report. Cruz-Robles said he hit his head several more times, and she was unable to hold him back. She “was crying for help, but due to being in the middle of the ride, no one heard her screaming,” the report said. When the ride finished, he “was stuck ... face down, falling out of his seat, with legs inverted,” wrote Universal paramedic Sebastian Torres in the report.