The family of a 32-year-old man who died of blunt force injuries on a theme park roller coaster is accusing Universal Orlando Resort of endangering lives by reopening the ride this weekend.
Attorneys for the family said the Epic Universe park reopened the Stardust Racers ride even though they were in “active communication” with the company seeking to have it inspected first by their legal team’s experts.
“Whoever is making the decision to put profits over people and their safety, may God have mercy on your soul,” Ana Zavala, the mother of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, said in Spanish during a Monday news conference with their attorneys.
“They reopened the ride as if his life didn’t matter and his death wasn’t worth answering for,” reads a statement written by the victim’s father, Carlos Rodriguez Ortiz. “We’re not here to tear Universal down. We’re here to lift safety standards up.”
Attorney Ben Crump condemned the reopening, saying “Universal has a responsibility not just to Kevin’s family, but to every family who visits the park to ensure its rides are safe for all guests.”
A representative for Universal did not immediately respond to an inquiry on Monday.
Previously, Karen Irwin, president and chief operating officer at Universal Orlando Resort, said the ride at the company’s newest theme park had undergone an extensive operational and technical review that confirmed the ride systems had functioned properly and Universal workers had followed proper procedures. The ride system’s manufacturer and an independent roller coaster engineering expert also conducted on-site testing which supported Universal’s findings, Irwin said.
The medical examiner for the Orlando area ruled that Zavala died accidentally on Sept. 17 of multiple blunt force injuries. The full autopsy report hasn’t been made public.
Zavala had a spinal disability from birth and used a wheelchair, but his family’s attorneys said his disability didn’t cause his death.
Multiple people have reached out with related stories of injuries from the ride, his family’s lawyers said. Separately, a central Florida woman sued Universal last month saying she had suffered injuries while on the roller coaster.
___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
By KATE PAYNE
Associated Press/Report for America
