Death of man on Universal Orlando roller coaster ruled accidental
Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, 32, died in an accident on a high-speed roller coaster at Universal Epic Universe, and authorities have closed the investigation, according to a report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
The medical examiner’s report, released Friday, detailed extensive injuries, including a deep gash on the left side of Zavala’s forehead, a fractured bony ridge above his eye, internal bleeding above the skull, bruising on his abdomen and arms, and fractures to his nose and right thigh. Officials confirmed Zavala’s death was caused by blunt-force trauma. The sheriff’s office investigation concluded that ride operators followed proper procedures and were neither negligent nor careless.
Security footage showed Zavala alert at the start of the ride but slouched and unresponsive by the end. Witnesses reported he was bleeding from the face and collapsed in his seat when the ride stopped. Anna Marshall, a doctor who witnessed the aftermath, described Zavala’s arm hanging off the ride and his broken thigh bone resting on the seat. Zavala, who used a wheelchair, had previously undergone spinal surgery involving metal rods. His girlfriend, Javiliz Cruz-Robles, told investigators the lap restraint may have been positioned too low, causing him to strike his head on the restraint multiple times during the ride.
Paramedic Sebastian Torres reported that Zavala remained secured in the lap bar for ten minutes after the ride stopped while operators worked to release him. The coaster, a dual-launch ride reaching speeds up to 62 mph, had warning signs advising against riding with back, neck, or other conditions that could be aggravated by sudden drops or accelerations. Zavala’s family confirmed that his pre-existing condition, spinal cord atrophy, was not the cause of his death. The roller coaster opened in May as part of Universal Orlando Resort’s newest theme park.
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