ORLANDO, Fla. — A visit to one of Epic Universe’s premiere roller coasters ended in tragedy Wednesday night.
A Kissimmee man died after riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster. That man was 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala. He lost consciousness during the ride and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The medical examiner said it was officially deemed an accident, with multiple blunt impact injuries leading to the death.
It is still not clear what happened on the ride that caused the injuries.
Stardust Racers reaches speeds just over 62 mph and sends passengers up more than 133 feet into the air.
Theme park expert Danny Cox has ridden Stardust Racers multiple times. He called it a “very intense attraction,” saying “It is the center point of their park.”
“When you hit that height, even though you’re strapped in, you’re going to feel yourself almost weightlessness, lack of gravity, airborne, whatever you want to call it. It’s an intensity unlike anything I’ve ever felt,” he said.
Stardust Racers opened with the park in May.
A July quarterly report shows there have been incidents on the coaster before. It includes self-reported data that shows two incidents in June, although both were minor. A 63-year old with pre-existing conditions became dizzy on the ride and a 47-year-old, also with pre-existing conditions, experienced numbness after the ride.
“Disney, Universal and some of the others, they must do their own safety inspections and then report any injuries, any deaths and so on to the state,” Cox said.
Stardust Racers is now closed as the investigation continues.
Universal Orlando did not give any more information on the incident but released a statement saying, “We are devastated by this tragic event and extend our sincerest sympathies to the guest’s loved ones. We are fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation. The attraction remains closed.”
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