What an awful week for the roller coaster community.
A 32-year-old coaster fan from Florida lost his life after riding what many in the community have hailed the best new coaster of the year. Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died last week after riding Stardust Racers, the Mack Rides racing launch coaster at Universal Orlando’s new Epic Universe theme park.
The Orange County [Florida] Medical Examiner attributed the cause of death to “multiple blunt impact injuries.” Zavala was unresponsive when the coaster train he was riding on returned to the station. Stardust Racers has been closed since the incident, which remains under investigation.
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Zavala was a wheelchair user with a pre-existing spinal condition, though there is no evidence yet that his condition had anything to do with the incident. Stardust Racers reaches a top speed of 62 mph and height of 133 feet. When I reviewed the coaster earlier this year, I noted its aggressive ejector airtime, which has made the coaster an immediate favorite with many fans.
Universal Orlando President and COO Karen Irwin, who used to run Universal Studios Hollywood, sent a letter to Universal team members expressing sympathy for Zavala’s family and loved ones, while noting that Universal has not found any fault with the ride.
“Our internal findings to date confirm that the ride systems functioned as intended, equipment was intact at the ride’s start, throughout the duration of the ride and upon the ride vehicle’s return to the station, and our Team Members followed procedures,” Irwin wrote.
I know that many fans have been planning trips and looking forward to riding Stardust Racers, which I had expected to be the easy winner of multiple “best new coaster of the year” awards. But no theme park experience is worth someone’s life. Universal will need to be certain that whatever caused Zavala’s death will not happen to someone else before it can reopen Stardust Racers.
The consequences of operating unsafe attractions can be devastating, not just for visitors but also for a park. A Colorado jury last week awarded $205 million dollars to the family of a young girl who was killed on a drop ride at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in 2021. In that case, operators failed to ensure that the girl was safely buckled into the ride before they dispatched it.
Several fans who claimed to have witnessed the incident at Stardust Racers posted their reactions to social media. Clearly, emotions were raw on the platform as Universal employees scrambled to respond. Grace in such intense situations comes only with experience, and this is not an experience that I would wish upon anyone.
Thanks to the work and attention of so many designers and operators, riding a roller coaster is safer than riding in an automobile to the park. That makes Zavala’s death all the more stunning. I hope that the Stardust Racers investigation will reveal a cause and that the result will lead to safer experiences for everyone. But for now, the community remains in shock and mourning for a fellow roller coaster fan.
