Tragic Incident at Epic Universe: Kevin Rodriguez Zavala's Story (2025)

LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE LIFE OF KEVIN RODRIGUEZ. ZAVALA. WE BROKE THE NEWS THIS MORNING ON SUNRISE WITH HIS PICTURE, AND NOW WE HAVE NEW BREAKING DETAILS. WESH TWO HAS JUST RECEIVED THE INCIDENT REPORT FROM THIS CASE. NOW, OF COURSE, HE IS THE MAN WHO DIED AFTER BEING FOUND UNCONSCIOUS ON A ROLLER COASTER AT EPIC UNIVERSE. THE MEDICAL EXAMINER SAYS HIS CAUSE OF DEATH WAS MULTIPLE BLUNT FORCE INJURIES, BUT THERE ARE STILL MANY QUESTIONS TO ANSWER THIS AFTERNOON. AND NANCY, WE JUST GOT THAT REPORT. WE DID. I MEAN, JUST MINUTES BEFORE WE CAME ON THE AIR. I HAVE A PRINTOUT OF IT RIGHT HERE, AND WESH TWO’S JUSTIN SCHECKER IS LIVE IN THE CHOPPER. AND JUSTIN, YOU HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS REPORT THAT’S GIVING US AT LEAST A FEW MORE NEW DETAILS IN THIS CASE. THAT’S RIGHT. NANCY AND STEW, GOOD AFTERNOON TO YOU BOTH. I’VE BEEN READING THIS INCIDENT REPORT FROM HERE IN CHOPPER TWO, HIGH ABOVE EPIC UNIVERSE. LET’S GIVE YOU A LIVE LOOK RIGHT NOW AT STARDUST RACERS. THIS ATTRACTION REMAINS CLOSED LESS THAN 48 HOURS INTO THIS DEATH INVESTIGATION. AND HERE IS THIS NEW INFORMATION. AT THIS HOUR, THE RESPONDING DEPUTY ARRIVED AROUND 920 ON WEDNESDAY. WHEN HE ARRIVED, HE OBSERVED ORANGE COUNTY FIRE RESCUE AND UNIVERSAL ORLANDO HEALTH SERVICES PERFORMING CPR ON THE MAN, LATER IDENTIFIED AS KEVIN RODRIGUEZ ZAVALA. WE ALSO LEARNED FROM THIS REPORT THAT HIS GIRLFRIEND WAS THERE WITH MR. RODRIGUEZ ZAVALA ON THE RIDE. AT THE TIME OF HIS TRAGIC DEATH. THE REPORT ALSO STATES THAT ZAVALA HAD A PREEXISTING SPINAL INJURY, AND HE WAS TAKING SOME TYPE OF MEDICATION THAT’S BEEN BLACKED OUT AS ONE OF THE REDACTIONS IN THIS REPORT. THE REPORT ALSO STATES THE GIRLFRIEND WAS VISIBLY SHAKEN AND STATED SHE WAS HAVING PANIC ATTACKS, AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO WRITE A STATEMENT HERSELF ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL NEW DETAILS COMING INTO THE WESH TWO NEWSROOM MOMENTS BEFORE WE WENT ON THE AIR. AT THE SAME TIME, WE’RE ALSO LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE MAN WHO LOST HIS LIFE. WHEN THE MEDICAL EXAMINER IS CALLING AN ACCIDENT. 32 YEAR OLD KEVIN RODRIGUEZ. ZAVALA’S FAMILY SAYS HE WAS A BELOVED SON, BROTHER, UNCLE AND FRIEND. HIS FAMILY WRITES. HE WAS THE KIND OF PERSON WHO ALWAYS MADE TIME TO LISTEN, OFFER THOUGHTFUL ADVICE AND LIFT OTHERS UP. EVEN WHEN HE WAS FACING CHALLENGES OF HIS OWN. THESE FAMILY PHOTOS SHOW KEVIN AT EPIC UNIVERSE’S SUPER NINTENDO WORLD AND STAR WARS GALAXY’S EDGE AT DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS. YOU CAN SEE IN THE FAMILY PHOTOS HE USED A WHEELCHAIR. HIS FAMILY WRITES. DESPITE THE RESTRICTIONS AND OBSTACLES HE ENCOUNTERED THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE, KEVIN MET THEM ALL WITH GRACE, STRENGTH AND AN UNWAVERING SPIRIT. HE OVERCAME SO MUCH, AND HE DID SO WITH QUIET RESILIENCE AND HUMILITY. THE ORANGE OSCEOLA MEDICAL EXAMINER SAYS HIS DEATH AFTER RIDING THE STARDUST RACERS WEDNESDAY NIGHT HAS BEEN RULED AN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY MULTIPLE BLUNT IMPACT INJURIES. THE ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS OFF DUTY DEPUTIES FOUND HIM UNRESPONSIVE AFTER THE ROLLER COASTER STOPPED. DOCTOR RAJIV BAHL IS AN EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. ONE OF THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS THAT WE DON’T KNOW AT THIS TIME IS WHAT HAPPENED. FIRST, THE UNRESPONSIVE NATURE, OR IF THE BLUNT TRAUMA CAUSED HIM TO BE UNRESPONSIVE. AND THAT’S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT HARDER FOR THE MEDICAL EXAMINERS TO REALLY DETERMINE. BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON, KEVIN’S FAMILY HAD ALREADY RAISED WELL OVER $10,000 FOR THEIR UNEXPECTED FUNERAL AND MEMORIAL EXPENSES. THE FAMILY WRITES. HIS PRESENCE LIT UP EVERY ROOM, AND HIS ABSENCE LEAVES A SPACE NO ONE CAN FILL. AND BACK HERE LIVE. WE ARE FLYING HIGH ABOVE EPIC UNIVERSE. AND MOMENTS BEFORE WE CAME ON THE AIR, THE ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE RELEASED THE INCIDENT REPORT FROM THIS DEATH INVESTIGATION. WE KNOW FROM THIS REPORT THAT KEVIN RODRIGUEZ ZAVALA WAS TAKEN TO ORLANDO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, WHERE SADLY, HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD A LITTLE AFTER 10:00 ON WEDNESDAY. AGAIN, WE’VE LEARNED FROM THIS REPORT THAT HIS GIRLFRIEND OF APPROXIMATELY TEN YEARS WAS WITH HIM WHEN THIS TRAGIC INCIDENT HAPPENED ON THE STARDUST RACERS ROLLER COASTER. YOU CAN SEE AT THIS HOUR, THE ROLLER COASTER REMAINS CLOSED LESS THAN 48 HOURS INTO THIS INVESTIGATION. BUT AGAIN, AS WE’VE SEEN FROM THAT FUNDRAISER, THERE’S BEEN SUCH AN OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT TO SUPPORT THIS FAMILY THAT IS GOING THROUGH THIS TRAGEDY AFTER THIS DEATH HERE AT EPIC UNIVERSE, COVERING ORANGE COUNTY LIVE IN CHOPPER TWO.