ORLANDO, Fla. – A final incident report has been released after a guest at Epic Universe died while riding the Stardust Racers rollercoaster earlier this year.
Investigative documents show that the incident happened on the night of Sept. 17, when 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala was found unresponsive on the ride.
Zavala was pronounced dead at the hospital, but Orange County fire officials said that he hadn’t fallen from the roller coaster.
The medical examiner originally told News 6 that the cause of death was “multiple blunt impact injuries,” though Thursday’s released report sheds some more light on what exactly happened.
According to the report, Zavala appeared to have suffered “severe facial trauma,” with witnesses reporting a “significant amount of blood loss.”
[BELOW: Video shared with News 6 shows apparent unresponsive rider on Stardust Racers]
First responders said they learned that Zavala was wheelchair-bound as a result of a preexisting spinal injury, meaning his legs didn’t work properly.
Investigators stated that Zavala’s girlfriend of 10 years, Javiliz Cruz-Robles, had also been riding on the coaster, and she told first responders what she’d seen before the ride kicked off.
“Directly before the ride began, a Universal ride employee pushed down on Zavala’s lap restraint multiple times,” the report reads. “Cruz-Robles remembers very little about what happened next but remembers seeing him hit his head on the seat multiple times.”
Cruz-Robles explained that when they got to the first downhill, Zavala “flew forward,” hitting his head.
“Javiliz stated she (had) seen Kevin hit his head multiple times. Javiliz attempted to hold him back but couldn’t do so,” the report says. “Javiliz was crying for help, but due to being in the middle of the ride, no one heard her screaming for help until the train cart was getting close to the station.”
[BELOW: Cause of death released after man killed on Epic Universe rollercoaster]
A doctor visiting the park who was waiting to get on the ride also reported seeing the bloodied Zavala, who appeared to be “lifeless,” slouched over with his arm hanging over the side.
After jumping into action to examine Zavala’s body, the doctor described that his femur was completely broken in half and resting on the back of his seat.
“(The doctor) recalled that Javiliz Cruz-Robles kept repeating, ‘His mom’s going to kill me,’ referring to a previous discussion that they were worried about him riding certain rides,” the report continues.
The doctor also told investigators that, based on her observations, she believed that his broken femur played a big role in Zavala striking his head on the metal bar in front of him.
However, the doctor didn’t believe that Zavala’s defective legs were the sole reason behind his death, investigators added.
[BELOW: Florida sends investigator to look at Stardust Racers roller coaster after death]
During later interviews, detectives said they learned that Zavala and his girlfriend had been riding several other attractions at the park that day, including other roller coasters.
Alongside the spinal injury, Cruz-Robles reportedly explained that Zavala had metal rods in his back due to his spine surgery, as well as a prior hip condition.
“As the interview continued, Javiliz Cruz-Robles said (she) had just learned about Kevin Rodriguez-Zavala’s previous hip injury and said she ‘guessing’ (sic) that his previous hip injury could have been the cause of him coming so far out of the seat,” detectives wrote.
However, Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Zavala’s family after his death, has claimed that Zavala did not have any back, neck or similar physical conditions.
[BELOW: Attorney, family of man who died after riding Stardust Racers condemn reopening]
Ultimately, investigators determined that the incident was an “accidental death” and that the case is now closed.
“Upon reviewing the documents, complied with the sworn statements and video surveillance, it appeared that all employees of Epic Universe followed their Standard Operating Procedures and did not act in a careless or neglectful manner,” investigators said.
When Stardust Racers reopened after Zavala’s death, the safety and accessibility guides for Epic Universe and its sister Central Florida theme parks were updated. Prior to the death, the Epic Universe safety guide for Stardust Racers said it was “not for guests with back, neck or similar physical conditions.” That still exists in the updated guide.