State Inspectors Confirm Findings Regarding Epic Universe Rollercoaster Death As The Man’s Family Speaks Out

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Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe has had a mixed start. While the park has been widely praised and considered a major success, it’s also faced tragedy with the death of a rider on the Stardust Racers roller coaster. The circumstances surrounding the death of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala are still under investigation by both Florida state officials and his family, who are seeking answers.

What Florida Inspectors Say About Stardust Racers

This week, Universal Orlando’s president, Karen Irwin, shared that a recent review of the Stardust Racers ride at Epic Universe confirmed everything is working as it should. Both the ride itself and the team operating it are performing well, according to the review. Stardust Racers is widely considered to be a top attraction.

According to a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services spokesperson who spoke with ABC, their investigation reached the same conclusions as Universal’s, based on the same data and test results.

The investigation is still underway, but the coroner’s ruling suggests Kevin Rodriguez Zavala’s death wasn’t caused by a mechanical issue or human mistake. The coroner determined the death was an accident resulting from significant blunt force trauma.

What Kevin Rodriguez Zavala’s family Had To Say

Although investigators have a better understanding of what didn’t lead to this terrible accident, Kevin Rodriguez Zavala’s family is determined to discover the actual cause. They’ve hired attorney Ben Crump, known for his work representing the family of Tyre Sampson, the boy who tragically died on the Orlando FreeFall ride at ICON Park in 2022.

Carlos Rodriguez Ortiz, the father of the man involved, stated in a press conference this week that his son, who loved theme parks, was born with spinal muscular atrophy and used a wheelchair. However, doctors had not advised against him riding Stardust Racers, according to his father.

I don’t want anybody else to feel like I feel right now. So please help me to get that done.

Stardust Racers has been closed since the accident, and it’s currently unclear when it will reopen. Although the first inspection showed the roller coaster itself was undamaged, further reviews are expected to ensure everything is completely safe.

Even if the roller coaster isn’t the cause of the incident, Stardust Racers might still be updated or changed. This often happens after injuries on theme park rides. If that occurs, it could be a long time – potentially many months – before the ride reopens to the public.

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2025-09-25 23:08