Man dies from blunt impact injuries after riding coaster at new Florida
amusement park Epic Universe
[September 19, 2025]
By JEFF MARTIN and MIKE SCHNEIDER
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A man who was unresponsive after riding a roller
coaster at Universal Orlando Resort's newest park died from blunt impact
injuries, a medical examiner said Thursday.
Joshua Stephany, the medical examiner for the Orlando area, ruled the
death an accident after performing an autopsy. The statement from
Stephany did not mention any details about the injuries, including where
on the body they were found.
The man in his 30s was found unresponsive after riding the coaster at
Epic Universe on Wednesday, the Orange County Sheriff's Office in
Orlando said. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Dennis Speigel, CEO and founder of consulting firm International Theme
Park Services, called the autopsy’s conclusion “pretty shocking,” and he
said it raised more questions than it answered.
“Was it the head or the chest? Was he banging around? Was he in his seat
properly?” Speigel said. “Was it an accident caused by the ride or him
doing something?”
The medical examiner's office didn't respond to an email seeking further
details on the injuries.
The roller coaster involved was Stardust Racers, Universal officials
said in a statement. It's described on the resort's website as “a
breathtaking, dual-launch coaster reaching incredible speeds up to 62
mph (100 kph).”
“We are devastated by this tragic event and extend our sincerest
sympathies to the guest’s loved ones,” a Universal Orlando Resorts
spokesperson said in a statement. "We are fully cooperating with Orange
County and the ongoing investigation. The attraction remains closed.”
After the autopsy was released, Universal said it couldn’t comment
beyond its earlier statement because of the ongoing investigation.
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Guests ride on the Stardust Racers roller coaster at Epic Universe
Theme Park at Universal Resort Orlando, April 10, 2025, in Orlando,
Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, file)
Universal opened the park in May. It has five themed sections and a
500-room hotel.
It’s the first major, traditional theme park to open in Florida
since 1999, when Universal Islands of Adventure debuted, though
Universal opened a themed Orlando water park, Volcano Bay, in 2017.
The addition of Epic Universe brought the total number of parks at
the Florida resort to four, including Universal Studios.
Florida’s largest theme parks are exempt from state safety
inspections, unlike smaller venues and fairs. Instead, the largest
theme parks like Walt Disney World and Universal conduct their own
inspections and have their own protocols, but they must report to
the state any injury or death.
In the second quarter of this year, there were a dozen reports from
Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld Orlando. They ranged from a
78-year-old woman becoming unresponsive on a child-friendly carousel
at SeaWorld to an 87-year-old woman with a preexisting condition
losing consciousness after going on the Dinosaur ride at Disney’s
Animal Kingdom.
Since Epic Universe opened in May, there have been three reports
made. In May, a 63-year-old man with a preexisting condition
experienced dizziness and “an altered state of consciousness” and a
47-year-old woman with a preexisting condition had a “visual
disturbance” and numbness after going on the Stardust Racers
coaster, on separate days. A 32-year-old man experienced chest pains
after going on the Hiccup’s Wing Gliders ride, according to the
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.
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