A high-speed roller coaster at Florida’s Epic Universe reopened Saturday afternoon, more than two weeks after a man died from multiple blunt force injuries while riding the popular attraction with his girlfriend.
Stardust Racers roared back onto the steel tracks with new safety guidelines — and a reported nearly three-hour wait — after closing when 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala was found unresponsive in the front seat of the dueling roller coaster on Sept. 17.
Prior to reopening the coaster, the Orlando theme park updated its operating procedures and signage to reinforce safety warnings and physical eligibility rules for the thrill ride and other attractions, Karen Irwin, President and COO of Universal Orlando Resort, told workers in a memo on Friday.
She said an extensive review of Stardust Racers — which zips riders along the track at up to 62 mph and climbs 133 feet — concluded the coaster was operating normally when Zavala died.
Zavala, who had spinal cord atrophy and used a wheelchair, suffered multiple blunt force injuries following a spin on the amusement ride, a medical examiner determined.
Multiple eyewitnesses recalled the horrific moment a bloody Zavala slumped over mid-ride, according to his devastated family, who has since hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump, Florida Today reported.
Crump said the family believes that Universal Orlando missed “multiple warning signs” regarding safety issues with the coaster and accused park employees of seeming unprepared to handle the emergency.
His investigative team reportedly found that Zavala suffered multiple blows to the head, along with lacerations, during the ride and was unconscious for most of it.
Irwin has since maintained to employees that the ride was functioning normally, that all equipment was intact during the ride and staff “followed proper procedures,” according to her memo.
She said a thorough review conducted on the coaster by park officials, the ride maker, and an outside coaster expert backed up Universal’s initial findings.
With Post wires.
Read the full article here
