Above video: Attorney Ben Crump seeks more government oversight after roller coaster death
ORLANDO, Fla. (WFLA) – Universal Orlando announced plans on Friday to reopen the Stardust Racer roller coaster in an epic universe.
In a letter sent to Universal theme park workers, obtained by NBC affiliate WESH, President and Chief Operating Officer Karen Irwin said the ride system was working correctly following a ‘comprehensive technical and operational review’ conducted with state and local officials.
The letter also states that the manufacturer of the ride system and independent third-party roller coaster engineering experts have conducted their own on-site testing.
“As always, safety is our number one priority,” Irwin wrote in the letter. “To further assist guests in determining whether or not they can ride the appeal, we are updating operational procedures and attraction signs to enhance existing ride warnings and physical eligibility requirements for Stardust Racers and other vehicles.”
Stardust Racers will resume Saturday afternoon since the September 17 incident claimed the life expectancy of 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, a wheelchair user with known spinal cord injuries. He turns out he doesn’t respond after getting on the charm and is declared dead in the hospital.
Prosecutors ruled the death as an accident, citing multiple blunt force injuries as the cause of the death.
The next day, Zavala’s family held civil rights lawyer Ben Crump. He said several people reached out to his office to report injuries from a roller coaster.
“I believe there is something wrong with the design of this vehicle and there are warning signs that they tried to blame the victim,” Crump said at a news conference.
The family said that despite Rodriguez Zavala’s condition since he was born, he lived a full life and rode a roller coaster multiple times before his death. His family and their lawyers claim there was no medical emergency when he rode the Stardust Racer.
“His obstacles didn’t kill him,” Natalie Jackson, co-director of the PLLC Ben Crump Law’s lawsuit, said at a press conference last month.
