Christian Von Elverfeldt, CEO of Mack Rides, said investigators still do not know what caused the Sept. 17 death of a guest on Stardust Racers at Epic Universe, though initial inspections show the ride operated properly. The victim, 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, was taken to a hospital after losing consciousness and later died; the Orange County medical examiner ruled the death accidental from "multiple blunt impact injuries." Universal closed the coaster for an extensive review with state and local authorities and reopened it on Oct. 4 after additional testing.
Mack Rides CEO: "We Don't Know Yet" After Guest Dies on Epic Universe's Stardust Racers
Christian Von Elverfeldt, CEO of Mack Rides, said investigators still do not know what caused the Sept. 17 death of a guest on Stardust Racers at Epic Universe, though initial inspections show the ride operated properly. The victim, 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, was taken to a hospital after losing consciousness and later died; the Orange County medical examiner ruled the death accidental from "multiple blunt impact injuries." Universal closed the coaster for an extensive review with state and local authorities and reopened it on Oct. 4 after additional testing.
02:24 AM, 11/20/2025Society
Christian Von Elverfeldt, CEO of German coaster manufacturer Mack Rides, has publicly addressed the Sept. 17 death of a guest who rode Stardust Racers at Universal's Epic Universe. Von Elverfeldt said the company is still awaiting definitive answers about what happened and that preliminary inspections indicate the ride itself performed as designed.
What officials have said
The victim, 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, was found unresponsive after the ride and transported to a hospital, where he later died. According to the Orange County medical examiner, Dr. Joshua Stephany, the death was ruled accidental and attributed to "multiple blunt impact injuries." Local reports indicate Zavala lived with spinal cord atrophy and that witnesses observed him lose consciousness during the ride, with his head striking the headrest.
Manufacturer response and safety review
Von Elverfeldt told local investigators and reporters:
"I'm really sorry for this poor family and guy, but we don't know yet what really happened. We only know that the ride worked very well."He also said specialists who examined the attraction have reported that the system performed correctly.
Universal temporarily closed Stardust Racers for more than two weeks while an extensive review was conducted in coordination with local and state authorities. The ride's manufacturer and an independent, third-party roller coaster engineering expert performed on-site testing of the vehicle before the attraction reopened on Oct. 4.
Context and next steps
Stardust Racers is a high-speed roller coaster that reaches roughly 62 mph and climbs to about 133 feet. Universal officials have expressed condolences to the victim's family and gratitude to staff who responded to the incident. Investigations by authorities and independent experts are ongoing to establish a full timeline and determine any contributing factors.
Note: This account focuses on confirmed statements from the ride manufacturer, the medical examiner's determination, and the timeline of the review and reopening. Further findings may be released by investigators as they complete their work.