A recent incident at Epic Universe reveals a troubling sequence: Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, 32, died after participating in the Stardust Racers roller coaster ride. The Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) concluded there were no criminal acts connected to Zavala’s death, which the medical examiner ruled an accidental result of multiple blunt-force injuries. The case was closed on Thursday, with officials stating the death occurred on September 17 while Zavala was at the park.
What happened
Zavala, visiting Epic Universe with his girlfriend, passed out after riding Stardust Racers. Off‑duty deputies responded to a distress call at the scene and found him unresponsive. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner’s report attributed the death to accidental blunt trauma.
New details
The final OCSO report notes the area was secured with crime-scene tape, and several plastic packages consistent with medical intervention supplies were present. A deputy was directed to the chair Zavala and his girlfriend occupied, located near the penultimate pair of seats on the ride vehicle. The deputy observed a single Nike shoe on the ground and a significant amount of blood on the chair and the safety bar in front of it. Zavala’s wheelchair and the transfer chair used to seat him were photographed at the scene.
One Epic Universe employee statement indicated he told ride operators to release Zavala from the lap bar so he could be removed and CPR could begin. As operators released the lap bar, Orange County Fire Rescue arrived.
Another employee described injuries to Zavala’s face and a substantial amount of blood loss.
Head impact on the seat
Zavala’s girlfriend rode Stardust Racers with him. In her sworn statement, she said that, just before the ride began, a universal ride employee pressed down on Zavala’s lap restraint multiple times. She recalled little about what happened afterward but did witness Zavala’s head striking the seat multiple times. The OCSO report notes the girlfriend was visibly shaken, crying, and experiencing panic attacks while speaking with deputies, and she could not write her statement herself.
She described the difficulty securing the safety bar: it took roughly 2–3 attempts to lock it around Zavala. She believed he was secured, yet Zavala apparently lurched forward, striking his head on the first hill. She attempted to restrain him but could not, and she cried for help. Due to the ride’s ongoing operation, her screams went unheard until the train neared the station.
