Man who died on Universal Orlando roller coaster had a spinal condition, report says

Audio By Carbonatix

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Emergency workers who responded to Universal Orlando Resort's newest park for a man who had become unresponsive on a roller coaster originally were told he had lacerations. But when they got to the ride, he wasn't breathing and eventually died, according to radio traffic and a report released Friday by the sheriff's office.

Orange County, Florida, firefighters and Universal emergency workers tried to revive Kevin Rodriguez Zavala on a platform next to the Stardust Racers roller coaster Wednesday, but the 32-year-old man was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital, according to an incident report from the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Zavala's longtime girlfriend, who was with him, told deputies that he had a preexisting spinal condition — he used a wheelchair — and was taking medication, the report said.

After performing an autopsy, Joshua Stephany, the medical examiner for the Orlando area, ruled the cause of death as multiple blunt impact injuries and said the manner of death was an accident. The statement from Stephany on Thursday did not mention any details about the injuries, including where on the body they were found.

Zavala's family in an online post described him Friday as “one of a kind.” Zavala lived in Kissimmee, Florida, a suburb of Orlando.

“Despite the restrictions and obstacles he encountered throughout his life, Kevin met them all with grace, strength, and an unwavering spirit.,” his family said “He overcame so much, and he did so with quiet resilience and humility.”

The Stardust Racers roller coaster opened to the public in May with the debut of the Epic Universe park. The ride is described on the resort’s website as “a breathtaking, dual-launch coaster reaching incredible speeds up to 62 mph (100 kph).”

Stardust Racers was among the rides at Epic Universe which were designed to accommodate people transferring from wheelchairs to the ride vehicle, according to a Universal Orlando Resort safety guide. The guide also said that riders of Stardust Racers were required to pass through metal detectors to make sure they had no loose items in their pockets that could fly out, and that people with prosthetic limbs needed to remove them before riding.

A Universal Orlando Resorts spokesperson has said the resort is cooperating with investigators at the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Maria Fernandez, who said she was on the roller coaster at the same time as Zavala, told Orlando television station WKMG that he appeared to be slumped over and bleeding when the ride stopped.

Florida’s largest theme parks are exempt from state safety inspections, unlike smaller venues and fairs. Instead, the largest theme parks like Walt Disney World and Universal conduct their own inspections and have their own protocols. But they must report to the state any injury or death.

The state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, however, said Friday that it had sent an investigator to Epic Universe.

“Universal has been extremely cooperative and has complied with all required notifications,” Aaron Keller, the department's communications director, said in an email.