A man, aged 32, tragically lost his life in the United States while riding a rollercoaster, a case that has been determined as an accident following the conclusion of an investigation.

Kevin Zavala, who had a pre-existing spinal injury and relied on a wheelchair, was on the Stardust Racers attraction at the Universal Epic Universe theme park in Florida when he suddenly became unresponsive during the ride in September.

The dual-launch coaster, which opened officially in May at Universal Resort Orlando, can reach speeds of up to 62 mph (100 kph).

According to the Associated Press news agency, a medical examiner’s report released on December 12 revealed that Zavala had suffered significant injuries, including a deep gash on the left side of his forehead, fractures to his nose and the bone above his eye, bleeding above his skull, bruises on various parts of his body, and a fractured right thigh bone. The medical examiner in Orlando determined that Zavala’s death was caused by blunt-impact injuries.

Witnesses reported that Zavala appeared well at the beginning of the ride but was found unresponsive and slouched over in his seat at the end. His girlfriend, Javiliz Cruz-Robles, mentioned that Zavala had metal rods in his back from a prior spinal surgery.

During the ride, Zavala experienced difficulties with the lap restraint, with Cruz-Robles noting that the restraint bar was positioned too low on their laps. She described how Zavala hit his head multiple times on the metal bar in front of them during the ride, despite her efforts to prevent it.

When the ride returned to the platform, Zavala was still secured in his seat by a lap bar, which took operators 10 minutes to release. Paramedic Sebastian Torres described the scene as Zavala being stuck face down in his seat, with his legs inverted.

The investigative report mentioned that warning signs at the ride’s entrance cautioned against riding with certain physical conditions or recent surgeries that could be aggravated.

Zavala’s family clarified that his disability, attributed to spinal cord atrophy, was not the cause of his death. They disclosed his history of previous fractures and surgeries.

Representatives for Zavala’s family, including attorney Ben Crump, did not respond to requests for comment on the sheriff’s office report.

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