The CEO of the Germany company that created Stardust Racers spoke for the first time about the death of a guest who rode the Epic Universe coaster two months ago.

Mack Rides Addresses Stardust Racers Death

On September 17, 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died from multiple blunt impact injuries after riding Stardust Racers. The dual launch coaster was manufactured by Mack Rides, one of 100s of attractions the company has created.

Mack Rides CEO Christian von Elverfeldt told WESH 2 at International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, “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.”

Universal Orlando Resort’s internal investigations found the ride “functioned as intended” and Team Members followed proper procedures.

“All the specialists said the ride worked perfectly,” said von Elverfeldt, echoing Universal’s statements.

When asked about safety, von Elverfeldt said, “Safety is, of course, the most important thing because there are human beings who are on our rides, and maybe 12 months, 10 hours a day. So, this is the most important for us.”

In addition to their own investigation, Universal invited the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to conduct an investigation, and FDACS said their findings “align with those shared by Universal.” However, a recent request for records regarding the incident turned up nothing as FDACS apparently kept no records.

Stardust Racers was closed for less than a month following Zavala’s death, reopening with updated safety requirements. Zavala’s family condemned the reopening, which happened before their attorneys could conduct their own investigation.

Mack Rides has created 173 roller coasters and dozens of other attractions, including Curse of the Werewolf also at Epic Universe.

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