OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – The man who died after riding a roller coaster at Epic Universe was laid to rest Friday.
Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died Sept. 17 after riding Stardust Racers, a 133-foot-tall roller coaster at Universal’s newest theme park in Orlando. Orange-Osceola Chief Medical Examiner Joshua Stephany determined the cause of Rodriguez Zavala’s death was “multiple blunt impact injuries,” adding the manner of his death was an accident.
News 6 spoke with one of the family’s attorneys, Natalie Jackson, outside the funeral. Jackson said the family had a special tribute for the 32-year-old’s final goodbye.
“All the family members came in with this as a tribute to Kevin and his love for amusement parks,” Jackson said as she held a “Star Wars” lightsaber. “Kevin was a huge amusement park and ‘Star Wars’ aficionado.”
Jackson shared that the family wanted to remember Rodriguez Zavala as the amusement park lover he was.
“He rode roller coasters all the time, he visited all the local amusement parks,” she said. “The video tribute today was very beautiful because it showed his love for theme parks, and it showed him on all the rides and roller coasters.”
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The family spoke Wednesday with their legal team, including attorney Ben Crump, to ask for transparency from Universal.
“I never put any limits on my son,” his mother Anna Zavala said. “Regardless of what condition he had, he had no limits. He was raised like his siblings, no different, he was completely independent. My son was an angel.”
[WATCH BELOW: Family of Kevin Zavala hires Ben Crump]
Crump’s team said they would demand autopsy results, footage from the ride and more as it conducts an independent investigation. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is also investigating Zavala’s death.
“The family is asking for two things,” Jackson said Wednesday. “They’re asking for a full and transparent investigation into how this happened, and they are asking for the Stardust Racer ride to remain shut down until all investigations are complete and they fully understand what was involved, and what preventative methods are being taken to prevent this from ever happening again to anybody else’s child.”
In a letter to staff, Universal Orlando Resort President Karen Irwin wrote that Stardust Racers was functioning as intended prior to Rodriguez Zavala’s death.
[VIDEO: Universal Orlando Resort president says Stardust Racers at Epic Universe functioned ‘as intended’ before guest’s death]
“The attraction remains closed as we continue to work through a comprehensive review process in cooperation with the ride manufacturer of record. Safety is, and always will be, at the forefront of everything we do,” Irwin wrote.
An incident report obtained by News 6 states Rodriguez Zavala had a “preexisting spinal injury,” though it’s unclear whether that contributed to the accident. According to the Epic Universe safety guide, Stardust Racers is “not for guests with back, neck or similar physical conditions.”
[PAST COVERAGE: Rider recounts experience after guest on Stardust Racers found unresponsive]