Wheelchair user’s death on rollercoaster deemed accident | US | News
The death of a wheelchair user on a roller coaster in the United States was ruled an accident, and a report said workers in the wheelchair followed procedures despite signs warning against riding.
Kevin Zavala, 32, who has a pre-existing spinal injury and uses a wheelchair, was riding the Stardust Racers attraction at the Universal Epic Universe theme park in Florida in September when he suddenly became unresponsive.
Stardust Racers will officially debut in May at Universal Resort Orlando and will reach speeds of up to 60 mph.
A medical examination report released on Friday, December 12 showed that Zavala had a deep gash on the left side of his forehead and part of his face was fractured. Associated Press news agency reported. Zavala had bleeding on the top of his skull, bruises on his arms and abdomen, and a fracture to his right femur. The medical examiner in Orlando had previously ruled the death an accident and that he died from blunt force trauma.
An investigative report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando said security video footage showed Zavala was “engaged and well” at the start of the trip, the AP reported. He was unresponsive and eventually collapsed into his seat. Eyewitnesses said his face was bleeding.
Anna Marshall, a medical examiner who was waiting in line for the event, told investigators that Zavala’s arm was dangling from the vehicle, his femur was split in half, and he was resting on the back of the seat.
Zavala’s girlfriend, Javiliz Cruz-Robles, was behind him on the trip. He told Marshall he had metal rods in his back from a previous spine surgery.
“Dr. Marshall explained that he did not believe Kevin Rodriguez-Zavala’s lack of use of his legs was the sole reason this occurred,” the report said.
Cruz-Robles told investigators that before starting the ride, a ride operator had to push Zavala’s lap restraint down several times for it to be securely in place, and that he thought the bar was positioned too low on their laps.
She said that during the first downward move of the roller coaster, her boyfriend flew forward and hit his head on the metal bar in front of them. He said Zavala hit him in the head a few more times, and although he tried, he couldn’t hold him back.
“Javiliz was crying for help, but because he was in the middle of the journey, no one heard his cry for help until the train car approached the station,” the report said.
Universal paramedic Sebastian Torres told investigators that when he returned to the ride area, Zavala was still secured in the ride seat by the ride bar, and ride operators struggled for 10 minutes to free the bar.
“The guest was trapped face down in the vehicle, falling out of his seat with his legs turned upside down,” Torres said in a statement included in the report. he wrote.
Signs hung at the entrance of the attraction warned guests against sudden drops and accelerations. The signs stated that guests meeting certain conditions should not go on the tour. Those conditions include those with “back, neck, or similar physical conditions,” those who have had recent surgery, or those whose conditions may be aggravated, the sheriff’s office report said.
The investigation report stated that workers on the ride followed procedures. He said they were not careless or negligent.
Zavala’s family described the condition that caused his disability as spinal cord atrophy. They said it did not cause his death. Zavala’s parents told investigators that their son needed surgery for a fractured femur in 2020 and a hip dislocation in 2010.
The media office of the attorney representing Zavala’s family responded to an emailed inquiry about the sheriff’s office report on Friday, the AP reported.
