Family Speaks Out After Man Dies On Universal Rollercoaster

ORLANDO, FL — More than two weeks after a man died riding Universal Orlando's Stardust Racers rollercoaster, the man's family spoke out after the ride was reopened last weekend.

Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, 32, on Sept. 17 became unresponsive after riding Stardust Racers and later died at a local hospital, News 6 reported. Media reports say after his death, the ride was temporarily shut down.

Orange-Osceola Chief Medical Examiner Joshua Stephany previously said Zavala died from blunt impact injuries, CNN reported.

His death was ruled accidental, the per WFLA.

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"The family was very disappointed that they reopened this ride while we were trying to settle the inspection," civil rights attorney Ben Crump said at a news conference held Monday.

He said Zavala's family was not informed of Universal's decision, leading to the "ultimate disrespect in Kevin's memory." He called the reopening premature.

Zavala's family shared a statement written by his father, Carlos Rodriguez-Ortiz. In the letter, he expressed wanting to have the ride inspected and a desire to ensure all the park's rides are safe.

"On the night Kevin died, he trusted Universal," Rodriguez-Ortiz wrote, per the family. "That trust cost him his life. Universal said that safety is the most important thing, yet they reopened the ride this weekend without having all of the investigations complete. To me, this is not putting safety first. This is not right. I say to the officials at Universal, until you do right, Kevin's blood is on your hands."

In the letter, Rodriguez-Ortiz said Universal provided a wheelchair transfer to Zavala so he was able to ride Stardust Racers. Additionally, he claimed a worker took four tries to close the lap bar and to ensure it was secured as signaled by a green light.

The light came on after the employee "forcefully" pushed down the lap bar, Rodriguez-Ortiz claimed.

"Kevin did nothing wrong," he said. "He reviewed the warnings before getting on the rollercoaster as he always did before getting on the rollercoaster. He placed his trust in Universal and its employees not to let him board on a ride if it was dangerous for him. He believed he was safe because Universal's actions told him that he was safe."

Rodriguez-Ortiz said his goal is to uplift safety standards rather than condemning Universal.

Stardust Racers is a dual-launch coaster located in the Celestial Park section of Epic Universe, according to the Universal website. The coaster goes upside down multiple times, reaches speeds up to 62 mph and hits heights of 133 feet along 5,000 feet of track.