The family of a man who died after riding a rollercoaster at Epic Universe said they are now aware of multiple complaints and reports of injuries regarding the attraction since it opened.
Joined by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, the family held a press conference on Sept. 30 to discuss further details into the death of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, who was found unresponsive on the Stardust Racers roller coaster after riding it late Sept. 17.
Crump said that since their last press conference, several witnesses have come forward, as well as fellow riders who have suffered injuries on the roller coaster. He said these reports are consistent with the injuries in the autopsy of Rodriguez.
“The multiple Stardust Racers riders who have come forward to the family and our office lead us to believe that Kevin’s case was not an isolated incident,” Crump said.
Crump said the family believes that Universal Orlando missed “multiple warning signs” ahead of Rodriguez’s death and added that they were aware that there were concerns about the ride’s safety. His office called this incident a “matter of great public concern.”
What happened to Kevin Rodriguez Zavala? What was the cause of death?
Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, 32, of Kissimmee died after being found unresponsive on Epic Universe’s Stardust Racers roller coaster after riding it on Sept. 17. His family set up a GoFundMe to cover the funeral and memorial expenses.
Rodriguez, 32, was visiting the park near Orlando and was found unresponsive on the roller coaster after riding it. In an incident report shared with USA TODAY Network-Florida on Friday afternoon, an Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a medical emergency at the theme park at around 9:20 p.m.
In audio shared by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy at the scene told the OCSO communication center that they were responding to a guest (later identified as Rodriguez) who had a laceration and was “not breathing.”
Universal Orlando Health Services and OCFRD were performing CPR on Rodriguez when deputies arrived. The OCSO said Rodriguez was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead at 10:05 p.m.
The Orange County Medical Examiner told USA TODAY on Thursday evening that “multiple blunt impact injuries” are the cause of death. It has been ruled an accident. The sheriff’s office incident report noted Rodriguez Zavala had a pre-existing spinal injury and was taking medication.
Attorney Natalie Jackson, co-director of litigation for Crump’s Central Florida office, said last week that, “our investigation so far has confirmed that Kevin suffered repeated head injuries during the ride and was unconscious for the majority of the duration of the ride.” They confirmed there Rodriguez had lacerations.
According to the family, they said multiple eye-witnesses described a chaotic scene with Rodriguez slumped over and blood everywhere. Many also claim that employees weren’t helpful and seemed unprepared to address an emergency.
Crump said he has requested that Universal provide videos of the incident but have been denied so far.
What did Crump say about Stardust Racers?
Crump and his office stated that Universal needs to take accountability for the incident, and there needs to be “greater government oversight” of corporations. They highlighted that Universal self-reported four incidents regarding the ride, and they concluded the injuries were caused by “pre-existing conditions.”
Mack Rides, which made the dual-launch coaster, previously told the USA TODAY Network that it’s supporting the investigation and is in close contact with Universal and authorities.
The family read a message from GoFundMe from a woman who suffered injuries from Stardust Racers in May. She alleges that she lost consciousness and suffered a concussion, as well as injuries to her spine and had informed Universal officials after.
Rodriguez’s parents, Carlos Rodriguez and Ana Zavala, reiterated that their son loved theme parks and roller coasters. They said all they wanted were answers, so they could be “at peace.” His father also said he has seen no direct communication from Universal.
He said that he feels like “nothing happened to them, but it happened to us.”
What is Stardust Racers? Where is Stardust Racers located?
Stardust Racers is a dual-launch racing coaster located in the Celestial Park section of Epic Universe. It reaches speeds of 62 mph, rises to 133 feet in the air, and runs along 5,000 feet of track.
The beginning of the coaster features two powerful launches, with another one toward the end of the ride. The two tracks glide between each other many times throughout the ride, including during the “Celestial Spin.”
Is Stardust Racers still operating?
No. The ride was closed after the incident on Sept. 17 and had not been reopened by Sept. 30.
The family of Rodriguez Zavala is requesting that the attraction remain closed while they conduct a thorough investigation into what happened and ensure that this incident does not happen again.
Crump’s office said Universal is cooperating, and an investigation is currently underway. They said they are going to look at everything.
Universal settles a different lawsuit over Stardust Racers injuries
A notice of settlement and a notice of voluntary dismissal with prejudice as to the defendant were filed on Sept. 26 in a different lawsuit regarding Stardust Racers, WESH TV reported.
Sandi Streets filed a negligence lawsuit against Universal City Development Partners Ltd. on Sept. 24 in Orlando, seeking damages exceeding $50,000. The lawsuit alleged that she sustained an injury from riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster.
According to the complaint obtained by USA TODAY Network-Florida, Streets was invited to Epic Universe on April 30, weeks before it officially opened to the public on May 22. While on Stardust Racers, it says Street’s “head shook violently and slammed into the seat’s headrest throughout the ride,” causing permanent injuries.
She says the ride failed to secure her head properly. The complaint also claims that Universal failed to operate the ride in a reasonably safe condition and did not provide sufficient warnings about the ride.
When asked about the settlement, Crump said it’s easy to speculate that the corporation was trying to silence the victim.
“Show us that you care about safety, show us that you want to make certain absolutely that this doesn’t happen to another one of your customers,” Crump said. “We must make sure the consumers are safe.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Epic Universe ride death was not ‘isolated incident,’ Ben Crump says
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