News Guest dies, found unresponsive after riding Stardust Racers

[mkt]

His loved ones probably do, seems a disrespectful thing to post as a joke really.

I didn't see it as disrespectful - but a valid criticism on how fast our news cycles go.

 

[Comped]

Update. Friend in media heard back from Medical Examiner. Orange County Sheriff's Office has rejected the request for the autopsy report stating the active investigation.

I don't know enough about OCSO to say if it's just a technicality or if they are taking the investigation seriously.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I didn't see it as disrespectful - but a valid criticism on how fast our news cycles go.

I feel similarly toward many of the more violent deaths we hear about in the media for one whole 24-hour news cycle then never again. They’re probably all worthy of more attention. I did not realize criticism of how quickly we forget, for example, a mass shooting somehow makes light of the lives lost. Quite the opposite is the intention. But, if we mourn a 10-year old for one day at most, I’m not sure what was expected here.

 

[mkt]

I don't know enough about OCSO to say if it's just a technicality or if they are taking the investigation seriously.

I'd assume it's just a neutral process.

 

[flynnibus]

I believe he put out a statement about them reopening it, mentioning seeing them in court, and if I’m remembering correctly he has another press conference scheduled for tomorrow.

He (obviously) wants to keep this in the public eye so Universal will just pay out whatever settlement the family wants to make him go away

Yup - I didn’t see it covered… but it’s here

Attorney Ben Crump Condemns Universal Decision to Reopen Stardust Racers Amid Ongoing Death Investigation - Ben Crump

Attorneys and the family will hold a Monday news conference in Orlando ORLANDO, Fla. (October 3, 2025) – Nationally renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, issued the following statement after Universal announced it will reopen the Stardust...

bencrump.com

Clearly uni is moving w/o buy in from the family… so no settlement at this point.

 

[mkt]

I noticed something interesting while taking a peek at another theme park incident: Burkhalter v. Disney. That was the case back in 2019/2020 where a 69-year-old woman was arrested by OCSO at Magic Kingdom after Disney security flagged her CBD oil. After the criminal charges were dismissed, she later filed a civil suit with Ben Crump as her attorney.

That’s the same attorney running the PR offensive against Universal right now.

Anyway, the suit itself was a mess. It read more like a political attack speech than an actual lawsuit, with facts being optional and opinions getting equal billing. It was loaded with conjecture, irrelevant points, and flat-out mistakes - two easy examples being that Disney doesn’t own Tokyo Disneyland and has never owned or operated a park in Taiwan.

The case went nowhere in either state or federal court. The federal case wasn’t even dismissed on the merits - it was tossed because Crump’s team couldn’t follow basic procedure, missing mandatory disclosures after being warned. The judge even noted his firm had failed to comply with orders in another related case. The fact that they haven't refiled 5 years later is equally damning.

If this is who the Rodriguez Zavala family has chosen to represent them, they don’t stand much of a chance if things actually hit a courtroom. Crump’s power is outside the courtroom - he plays to the media and wins in the court of public opinion. Inside the courtroom, Universal’s attorneys will wipe the floor with him… if he even manages to follow the rules.

Best case for the family is an out-of-court settlement. Worst case, they trusted this to a shyster.

 

[celluloid]

The fact Crump has not done any grandstanding since UNI’s move could be very telling…

That it is the weekend is what it tells.ua more than anything . He made comment on it. Maybe more on Monday.

But also probably now settlement discussions more than cut throat.

 

[flynnibus]

That it is the weekend is what it tells.ua more than anything . He made comment on it. Maybe more on Monday.

But also probably now settlement discussions more than cut throat.

Both these posts are out of date Crump put out a PR on the 3rd.

 

[mkt]

Both these posts are out of date Crump put out a PR on the 3rd.

Hopefully he'll back it with a poorly written lawsuit

 

[lewisc]

Hopefully he'll back it with a poorly written lawsuit

Chat GPT

 

[mkt]

Chat GPT

That would probably be an improvement.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I don't know enough about OCSO to say if it's just a technicality or if they are taking the investigation seriously.

At a minimum they probably need the completed report from the medical examiner to close out the investigation.

 

[mkt]

12 noon and no new suits filed.

 

[lazyboy97o]

12 noon and no new suits filed.

There’s not really a need to file quickly. And it would even make sense to wait on more information such as the full medical examiner’s report.