Fatal Universal Ride Incident Captured in Recently Released Bodycam Footage [WATCH]

Newly released body camera footage is shedding light on the fatal roller coaster incident that claimed the life of a wheelchair-bound guest at Universal Studios Florida last fall, as reported by The New York Post.

The footage captures the immediate aftermath at the Stardust Racers roller coaster, located within the Epic Universe section of Universal Resort in Orlando, where first responders were called following reports of a medical emergency on Sept. 17.

When officers arrived, they encountered a chaotic scene involving 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, who had become unresponsive during the ride.

Kevin Rodriguez Zavala’s family: We want better safety standards, not to tear down Universal, Stardust Racers https://t.co/AsGgFX5hyH

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“One of those ride carts – it’s just like, blood,” one individual can be heard telling officers as they approached the scene.

According to statements captured in the footage, Rodriguez was riding the coaster with his girlfriend when he suddenly lost consciousness.

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Witnesses told responding officers that although he had been secured in the ride, he appeared to pass out mid-ride and was unable to control his movements.

“He was strapped in, but then he passed out and went unconscious,” someone told police in the video, which was obtained by News 6.

Rodriguez, who was wheelchair-bound due to a prior spinal injury, remained on the ride as it continued its course.

The Stardust Racers coaster reaches speeds of up to 62 miles per hour and spans a track measuring approximately 5,000 feet.

His girlfriend, who was also on the ride, described her attempts to protect him as the situation unfolded. In statements captured on the footage, she recounted how Rodriguez’s condition worsened during the ride.

Family, friends gather for Kevin Rodriguez Zavala funeral, man who died after Epic Universe ride | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/z0wf3PpQhh

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“He kept hitting his head. I tried to hold him so he doesn’t hit his head anymore,” she told officers.

She further described the moment the ride began its descent, saying she could see him striking his head repeatedly.

“I saw him on the first drop. I saw him hit his head,” she said in the footage. “I tried to hold him. I couldn’t hold him. Another one, he hit his head. He just went up and hit.”

After the ride concluded, Rodriguez was transported to a hospital. Despite efforts to save him, he was later pronounced dead. An official report determined the cause of death to be “multiple blunt impact injuries.”

Investigators also documented the extent of his injuries, noting “severe facial trauma” and a “significant amount of blood loss.” Witnesses at the scene were described in reports as being “shocked” by his condition following the incident.

Officials reviewed the circumstances surrounding the ride and concluded that all safety procedures had been properly followed by park staff at the time of the incident, according to News 6.

Based on that determination, the death was ruled an accident.

Following the incident, operational changes were implemented when the ride reopened. The updated policy requires that guests with disabilities must be able to walk under their own power in order to board the roller coaster.

The incident remains one of the most serious reported at the Orlando theme park in recent years, drawing attention to ride safety protocols and accessibility requirements for guests.

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