A new report has revealed that state ride inspectors did not take any documentation of their findings following the September 17 death of a rider.
“There are no responsive records”
News 6 in Orlando reported their discovery following a request to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) for “documents, notes, photos, videos, and emails generated by the state ride inspectors” with regards to the the death of 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, who passed away from “multiple blunt impact injuries” on September 17 after riding Stardust Racers that same day.
In response, FDACS told the reporters that “There are no responsive records.” The agency typically generates written reports and other public records with regards to amusement park incidents, such as the 2022 Free Fall death.
On September 22, before state ride inspectors had completed their work at Epic Universe, FDACS issued a public statement indicating it concurred with Universal Orlando’s internal assessment that the Stardust Racers roller coaster “functioned as intended“:
The department’s current findings align with those shared by Universal after monitoring the same tests and reviewing the same information.
While FDACS does not have jurisdiction over large theme parks like Universal Orlando that employ their own full-time safety inspectors, there is a “memorandum of understanding” that all ride-related deaths be reported. According to an FDACS spokesperson, a state inspector was on scene the day after the incident:
Universal voluntarily invited FDACS to observe all testing and inspections.
However, FDACS did not explain why there was no formal documentation of the testing and inspections conducted.
Orange County officials revealed the investigation into the incident was being carried out under Florida’s manslaughter statute . The criminal investigation is ongoing. The family of Zavala has retained famous civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is also communicating with state and local officials about creating greater government oversight for companies like Universal who self-report injuries.
Stardust Racers reopened to guests on October 4, over two weeks after the incident.
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