ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Universal Orlando Resort plans to reopen its Stardust Racers ride at Epic Universe more than two weeks after a 32-year-old man died of blunt force injuries following a ride on the high-speed roller coaster.
Signs will be updated to reinforce existing warnings and eligibility requirements to help visitors decide if they should go on the dual-launch coaster, which reaches speeds of up to 62 mph (100 kph), Karen Irwin, president and chief operating officer at Universal Orlando Resort, said Friday in a memo to workers. The ride is scheduled to reopen on Saturday.
The family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala had publicly urged Universal not to reopen the ride until all investigations were finished and they had a better understanding of how he died. The medical examiner for the Orlando area ruled the cause of death as multiple blunt impact injuries and said the manner of death was an accident. The full autopsy report has not been made public.
Zavala had a spinal disability from birth and used a wheelchair, but his family’s attorneys stated that his disability did not cause his death on September 17.
Irwin said the ride at Universal’s newest theme park had undergone an extensive operational and technical review that confirmed the ride systems had functioned properly and that Universal workers had followed proper procedures. The ride systems manufacturer and an independent roller coaster engineering expert also conducted on-site testing, supporting Universal’s findings.
Separately, a woman sued Universal Orlando Resort last week, claiming she was injured on the ride. She stated the ride shook her violently and slammed her head into her seat’s headrest.
Attorneys for Zavala’s family said this week that others have reached out to them with similar stories about the ride, which officially opened in May with the debut of the new theme park.
https://wtop.com/national/2025/10/universal-to-reopen-stardust-racers-ride-two-weeks-after-mans-death/
