Newly released body-cam footage lays bare the frantic scramble after a rider was found unresponsive on the Stardust Racers roller coaster at Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe. The video identifies the rider as 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala and shows deputies, medics, and park employees rushing to the platform to treat him. It also includes an emotional interview with Zavala’s girlfriend, who was seated next to him during the ride. The footage comes six months after the Sept. 17, 2025, incident and is once again stirring debate over the coaster’s design and how investigations have been handled.
Station Releases Body-Cam Clip Of Emergency Response
The body-cam clip, published by WKMG’s ClickOrlando, shows deputies and Universal medics performing emergency care at the Stardust Racers loading platform while staff works to stabilize the ride vehicle, as detailed by the station. The coverage includes brief interviews with witnesses and a raw account from Zavala’s girlfriend describing the moments after he went unresponsive in his seat. Until now, much of what happened that night had existed mainly in dry incident reports and official statements; the video adds a visual, human layer to those records.
Autopsy And State Review Cite Blunt-Force Injuries
The Orange County medical examiner determined that Zavala died from “multiple blunt impact injuries” and ruled the death accidental, according to AP News. State inspectors later reported that their preliminary testing matched Universal’s internal findings, concluding that the ride system itself was functioning properly at the time of the incident.
Local Investigation Closed Without Criminal Charges
In December 2025, Orange County deputies announced they had completed their investigation and found no evidence of criminal conduct, stating that Universal employees followed procedures during the emergency response, according to Spectrum News 13. The incident report cited witness statements that Zavala appeared to strike his head during the ride and that he was unresponsive when the coaster train rolled back into the station.
Legal Fallout And Ongoing Lawsuits
Zavala’s family hired civil-rights attorney Ben Crump, who announced in mid-December 2025 that the family and Universal had reached an “amicable resolution,” according to a statement on Crump’s website. The terms of that agreement have not been made public. At the same time, several other riders have filed lawsuits alleging serious head and spinal injuries on Stardust Racers; local reporting shows at least five separate suits have been brought against Universal and the ride’s manufacturer, per the Tampa Bay Times.
Ride Status And What Comes Next
Stardust Racers has remained intermittently closed for testing and updates, and Universal has revised its operational guidance for the attraction. The coaster’s downtime has been extended multiple times while the company carries out inspections and maintenance, InsideTheMagic reported. Advocates and Zavala’s family continue to push for the release of internal ride data and maintenance records that could spell out precisely what happened on Sept. 17, while attorneys say the civil discovery process may eventually pull more documents and video into the open.
The newly public body-cam footage offers a clearer, unvarnished look at how first responders and park staff reacted in those crucial minutes, but it does not resolve lingering technical questions about ride forces or restraint performance. Officials stand by their conclusion that the death was accidental and that formal investigations are closed, leaving the courtroom and civil filings as the most likely route for uncovering additional operational records and expert analysis.
