A man has died after riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster at Universal Orlando Resort’s newest park, Epic Universe, on Wednesday night.
Deputies were called to the park just after 9 p.m. and found a man in his 30s unresponsive. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Orange County medical examiner, Dr Joshua Stephany, identified him as Kevin Rodriguez Zavala and said he died from multiple blunt impact injuries. His death was ruled accidental, but officials confirmed he did not fall from the ride. No further details about his injuries have been released.
Theme park consultant Dennis Speigel called the autopsy findings surprising and said it raised questions about how the injuries occurred, such as whether they happened during the ride or were caused by something else.
Universal said in a statement it is working with investigators and expressed condolences to Zavala’s family. The ride remains closed while the investigation continues.
Stardust Racers, which opened with Epic Universe in May, is a high-speed duelling coaster reaching up to 100 km/h. Epic Universe is Universal Orlando’s newest and largest park, with five themed areas and 11 rides.
Florida’s biggest theme parks run their own safety inspections but are required to report serious incidents. Since Epic Universe opened, there have been three reported medical incidents linked to rides — including two others involving Stardust Racers — but none had previously resulted in a death.
