YOU NEED TO KNOW
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Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, 32, was found unresponsive after riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster at the Epic Universe theme park in Orlando, Fla.
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The medical examiner’s office previously said Zavala died of “multiple blunt force injuries” and determined his death was an accident.
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The sheriff’s office completed their investigative report in December, concluding that “no criminal act occurred in this case”
Authorities have released a final report detailing their investigation into the death of a 32-year-old man after he fell off a roller coaster in Florida.
Kevin Rodriguez Zavala was found unresponsive after riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster at the Epic Universe theme park in Orlando on Wednesday, September 17th. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
An autopsy revealed he died of “multiple blunt force injuries,” the Chief Medical Examiner for Orange and Osceola counties said in an earlier statement shared with PEOPLE, noting that his death was ruled an accident.
In a statement released on Thursday, December 11, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said their report also concluded his death was accidental.
“Since it has been determined that no criminal acts occurred in this case, this concludes the role of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in this case,” they added.
The lengthy final report on his death includes two interviews with the man’s girlfriend, who was on the ride with him and said it took several attempts to “get the safety bar to secure around Kevin.”
As they boarded the ride, she “stated that she observed that the lap bar appeared to be too low,” but that the ride operator “continued to push on the lap bar…until it locked into place,” police wrote in the report.
An employee who helped install the lap bar, said he “followed the proper procedures” and gave the lap bar “a little push” until the indicated stated that “he was good to drive.” The employee stated that they then “visually rechecked the lap bar, per our procedures, and were able to clean the train.”
Although his girlfriend thought he was properly secured and saw “no sign of discomfort,” upon the first fall of the ride, she said he “partially ejected from his seat and hit his head on the metal bar in front of them,” according to the report.
“As the ride continued, Javier Cruz-Robles said he kept hitting his head on the bar in front of them while the ride went down,” the report continued.
“Javiliz tried to hold him back but she couldn’t do it,” the police wrote, noting that although she was “crying for help…because she was in the middle of the ride no one heard her scream for help until the train carriage was approaching the station.”
According to sworn statements from the ride’s employees, when they realized what was happening, the man was still attached to the lap bar and observed that he had several injuries to his face as well as “a significant amount of blood loss”.
According to Kevin’s parents, Carlos Rodriguez Ortiz and Anne Zavala, their son “was born with Spinal Atrophy, specifically in his T2-T5 vertebra, which required surgeries throughout his life.” They went on to tell investigators that their son, who used a wheelchair, had a “previous hip dislocation that required surgery” as well as a previous femur fracture.
As they interviewed the man’s girlfriend a second time, she said she had “just found out” about his previous hip injury, but said she was “under the sun” that “could have been the cause of him getting out of the seat so far.”
After looking at all the evidence, the police said they determined that “it appeared that all employees of Epic Universe followed their Standard Operating Procedures and did not act carelessly or negligently.”
“Based on the totality of the circumstances, with consideration of known and available evidence, to include sworn statements, video surveillance, the findings of the Ninth District Medical Examiner’s Office, the standard operating procedures provided by Epic Universe, this case was deemed an accidental death and was closed accordingly,” the police added.
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After Kevin’s death, his family retained attorney Ben Crump, who said they would be conducting an independent investigation.
Kevin was remembered by loved ones as having “a heart full of compassion, love, and understanding.”
“Kevin was truly one of a kind. He had an old soul—wise beyond his years,” loved ones wrote in a message on a GoFundMe set up on behalf of his family. “He was the type of person who always made time to listen, offer thoughtful advice, and uplift others, even when he was facing challenges of his own.”
“As a son, he brought warmth and pride to our parents’ hearts. As a brother and uncle, he was a source of laughter, guidance, and unconditional love,” the message continued. “As a friend, he was loyal, thoughtful, and always present. His presence lit up every room, and his absence leaves a void that no one can fill.”
Read the original article on People