What happened to Kevin Rodriguez Zavala? Universal Orlando to reopen Stardust Racers ride amid an ongoing probe weeks after the man’s death

The Stardust Racers ride is returning at the Universal Orlando Resort from October 4, 2025. The ride has been in the headlines ever since an individual named Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died from blunt impact injuries last month, as per the Associated Press. The man was initially discovered unresponsive and immediately hospitalized.

While the ride was closed after the incident, it will be reopened with certain precautions. Although the case remains under investigation, the theme park’s president, Karen Irwin, told the employees in a letter on Friday, October 3, that the ride has reportedly been confirmed to be safe.

As per Spectrum News 13, Karen mentioned that there will be some policy changes and explained the same by saying:

“We are updating operational procedures and attraction signage to reinforce existing ride warnings and physical eligibility requirements at Stardust Racers and other rides.”

Karen Irwin additionally extended her sympathy and condolences to Kevin’s family. She even expressed gratitude to the entire team at the theme park for displaying “professionalism, compassion, and care” at a time when an individual lost his life.

According to Inside the Magic, Irwin claimed that, as per the operational review, the ride was functioning without any issues during the boarding process and while returning to the station.

“Our extensive review was conducted working closely with local officials, and the State of Florida observed the testing and reviewed the results. In addition, the ride system manufacturer of record and an independent, third-party roller coaster engineering expert conducted their own on-site testing and validated our findings”, Karen’s letter reads.

Stardust Racers reopening receives criticism from the attorney fired by the victim’s family

While the return of Stardust Racers is creating headlines, the decision is also being criticized at the same time. Notably, several guests opened up about allegedly suffering injuries on the ride shortly after Kevin Rodriguez Zavala’s death on September 17, 2025.

KOTA-TV stated that the victim was using a wheelchair due to his spinal disability. However, the legal team representing Kevin’s family denied the same, claiming that the victim had possibly hurt his head on a restraint during the ride’s downward thrusts.

One of the attorneys, Ben Crump, was also fired by Zavala’s family, as per Inside the Magic. As soon as the news of Stardust Racers’ reopening went viral, Crump criticized Universal Orlando Resort for the same in a statement, saying that the ride is “active” evidence for the investigation into Zavala’s death.

Ben said that the ride’s reopening is risky until the experts can determine that it is safe for everyone. The statement continues and says:

“Universal reportedly told employees the ride functioned as intended. If that is accurate, then the design itself is deadly. We are demanding that Universal pause the reopening, preserve all evidence, and allow our experts to inspect it. If they refuse, we will address Universal’s callous actions in court.”

Zavala’s family said in another statement that Stardust Racers’ reopening can be described as a “disrespect” to Kevin’s life and the pain that they had to go through, as per Inside the Magic. The family also mentioned that they are “horrified” to see that Universal is operating the ride for the public again.

Meanwhile, Kevin Rodriguez Zavala’s death was declared an accident in the autopsy conducted last month. Kevin was 32 years old at the time of his death.