Parkgoer’s death on roller coaster at Universal Orlando Resort ruled accidental

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The demise of a 32-year-old man after using a high-speed curler coaster on the Common Epic Universe theme park was unintentional, and an investigation has been closed, based on a Florida sheriff’s workplace report launched this week.

In the meantime, a medical expert’s report launched Friday confirmed that the left aspect of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala’s brow had a deep gash, and the bony ridge above his eye was fractured.

He had bleeding above his cranium, bruises on his stomach and arms, and his nostril and proper thigh bone had been fractured, the medical expert’s report stated.

Kevin Rodriguez Zavala’s demise after using Common’s Epic Universe’s Stardust Racers was dominated an accident. GoFundMe

The medical expert in Orlando beforehand had dominated the demise an accident, saying Zavala died of blunt-impact accidents.

The investigative report by the Orange County Sheriff’s Workplace in Orlando stated that employees at Epic Universe adopted procedures and weren’t careless or neglectful.

Epic Universe is the latest theme park at Common Orlando Resort.

Safety video confirmed Zavala “engaged and properly” initially of the journey however unresponsive and slouched over in his seat on the finish, based on the sheriff’s workplace report.

When the journey got here to a cease, Zavala was bleeding from the face, and his physique was slumped over, based on witnesses.

Anna Marshall, a medical physician who was standing in line to board the journey, stated Zavala was slouched over and surrounded by blood when the coaster returned to the boarding platform.

A medical expert’s report launched Friday confirmed that the left aspect of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala’s brow had a deep gash, and the bony ridge above his eye was fractured. GoFundMe

His arm was hanging over the journey, and his thigh bone was damaged in half and resting on the again of the journey chair, she informed investigators.

Zavala used a wheelchair. As Marshall rendered help, Zavala’s girlfriend, Javiliz Cruz-Robles, who was beside him on the journey, informed the physician that he had steel rods in his again from a earlier spinal surgical procedure.

“Dr. Marshall defined that she didn't consider that simply because Kevin Rodriguez-Zavala didn’t have use of his legs that that was the only real purpose why this occurred,” the report stated.

Zavala’s household stated the situation resulting in his incapacity, which they described as spinal wire atrophy, didn’t trigger his demise on Sept. 17.

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The media workplace for lawyer Ben Crump, who's representing Zavala’s household, didn’t return an emailed inquiry in regards to the sheriff’s workplace report on Friday.

Zavala had extreme facial trauma when the journey stopped.

He was nonetheless secured in his journey seat by a lap bar, which journey operators had problem releasing for 10 minutes, Common paramedic Sebastian Torres informed sheriff’s workplace investigators.

“‘The visitor was caught on the journey car face down, falling out of his seat, with legs inverted,’” Torres wrote in an announcement included within the report.

Cruz-Robles informed investigators {that a} journey operator needed to push Zavala’s lap restraint down a number of occasions earlier than it was safely in place after they first obtained on the journey, and he or she thought the restraint bar was positioned too low on their laps.

Lawyer Benjamin Crump solutions questions with members of the family of Kevin Zavala at a press convention in Orlando, on Sept. 24, 2025. AP

Zavala was using the Stardust Racers curler coaster at Epic Universe Theme Park. AP

When the coaster started the primary downward motion, she stated Zavala flew ahead and hit his head on the steel bar in entrance of them.

Throughout the journey, Zavala hit his head a number of occasions extra, and Cruz-Robles stated she tried however was unable to carry him again.

“Javiliz was crying for assist, however as a result of being in the midst of the journey, nobody heard her screaming for assist till the prepare cart was getting near the station,” the report stated.

The sheriff’s workplace report famous there have been warning indicators posted on the journey’s entrance telling patrons about sudden drops and accelerations. The indicators stated company shouldn’t go on the journey with sure circumstances, together with “again, neck or related bodily circumstances,” or in the event that they’ve had current surgical procedures or circumstances that may very well be aggravated by the journey.

Zavala’s mother and father informed investigators that their son had beforehand fractured a thigh bone that required surgical procedure in 2020 and had a hip dislocation that required surgical procedure in 2010.

The twin-launch coaster reaches speeds as much as 62 mph and debuted formally in Might when Common Orlando Resort’s latest theme park opened to the general public.