Death on high-speed roller coaster in Florida deemed accidental

"According to a report released Friday by the local medical examiner, Kevin Rodriguez Zavala suffered a deep cut on the left side of his forehead, a fracture to the bone ridge above his eye and bleeding above his skull. Additional injuries included bruises on his arms and abdomen, a broken nose and a fractured right thigh bone."

"Security footage captured Zavala appearing engaged and well when the ride at the park began but at its conclusion, he was slumped and unresponsive, the sheriff's report said. Witnesses described seeing Zavala bleeding from his face and leaning over in his seat once the coaster stopped. Anna Marshall, a physician waiting in line for the ride, told investigators that Zavala appeared slouched over and surrounded by blood as the coaster returned to the platform."

"His girlfriend, Javiliz Cruz-Robles, who was seated next to him, said that Zavala had metal rods in his back from a prior spinal surgery. Family members told investigators that Zavala's spinal cord atrophy, the condition behind his disability, had no role in his death on 17 September. When the ride halted, Zavala sustained extensive facial injuries and remained restrained by the lap bar, which could not be released for about ten minutes,"

Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, 32, died after riding a high-speed roller coaster at Universal's Epic Universe on 17 September. The Orlando medical examiner ruled the cause of death blunt-impact trauma. The local medical examiner reported a deep cut on the left forehead, a fracture above the eye, bleeding above the skull, bruises on the arms and abdomen, a broken nose and a fractured right thigh. Security footage showed Zavala engaged at the ride's start and slumped and unresponsive at the end. Witnesses and a physician described extensive facial bleeding. The Orange County sheriff's office concluded employees followed safety procedures and deemed the death accidental.

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