The family of the person who died after riding Universal Orlando's Stardust Racers roller coaster has "reached an amicable resolution" with Universal, their attorney said.
The attorney representing the family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, Ben Crump, released a statement today: "The family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala and Universal have reached an amicable resolution in this matter. The terms are confidential. The family is grateful for the community’s support and asks for privacy at this time."
The Zavala family had retained Crump following the September incident which claimed Kevin's life. A final report from the Orange County Sheriff's office found no criminal acts in Zavala's death, which occurred after the 32-year-old wheelchair user repeatedly contacted the seat in front of him on the coaster, causing fatal blunt force injuries. The report also notes a broken femur.
Stardust Racers uses a lapbar restraint system. Lapbars require enough leg mass and strength to hold the body in place during a ride, which is one of the reasons why roller coasters have height requirements as well as other body-related boarding restrictions.
Universal closed Stardust Racers after the incident. The Epic Universe ride remained closed until October 4 while Universal, Mack Rides, Orange County and Florida and independent examiners inspected the ride and investigated the incident. None found fault with the ride or Universal's actions.
So. . . what's to stop this kind of thing from happening again?
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I am confused - How can a coaster workers measure height requirements as well as other body-related boarding restriction if he was in a wheel chair?
I understand this sounds like he went unconscious and got beat up by the ride....