The quiet joy of a family outing shattered in November when Ma de la Luz Mejia Rosas, a 70-year-old grandmother, became unresponsive during a ride on Universal Orlando’s Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster. What began as a planned day of happiness with her children and grandchildren quickly descended into a desperate race against time.
Rosas was immediately transported to a nearby hospital, but despite the efforts of medical staff, she succumbed to her condition on December 9th at Orlando Regional Medical Center. The official cause of death, determined by the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office, was a ruptured aneurysm, with no evidence of traumatic injury.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Rosas’s grieving family, expressed their profound loss and demand for answers. The family had anticipated a safe and joyful experience at the park, a simple wish tragically unmet, leaving them now grappling with unanswered questions surrounding the events of that day.
The Revenge of the Mummy, a high-speed indoor roller coaster inspired by the popular film franchise, reaches speeds of up to 45 mph. While thrilling for many, the ride has a documented history of incidents since its opening in 2004, including reports of nausea, dizziness, seizures, and even a vertebra fracture.
A report from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services revealed 21 reported incidents on the ride over the years. This data is self-reported by parks with full-time safety inspectors, as they are exempt from state inspections, raising questions about oversight and transparency.
The same report indicated six health-related incidents occurred at Walt Disney World during the same October-to-December period, while other major Florida parks like SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Legoland reported no incidents. This disparity highlights the potential for varying safety experiences across different amusement parks.
This tragedy follows another recent incident at Universal Orlando, just months prior in September, where 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died after becoming unresponsive on the Stardust Racers roller coaster at Epic Universe. Zavala’s death was attributed to multiple blunt force injuries.
Attorneys representing Zavala’s family alleged that Universal had disregarded “multiple” warning signs before his death, suggesting a pattern of safety concerns. They argued the incident wasn’t isolated, with other riders reporting similar injuries on the same attraction. A confidential resolution was ultimately reached with Universal.
The circumstances surrounding Ma de la Luz Mejia Rosas’s death are now under intense scrutiny, with her family seeking a comprehensive understanding of the events leading up to, during, and following the ride. The pursuit of truth and accountability remains paramount as they navigate their grief and search for closure.
