Settlement Reached Over Injury Claims on Stardust Racers Roller Coaster

A lawsuit filed by Sanford resident Sandi Streets against Universal City Development Partners, Ltd. has been settled.

The lawsuit claims that Streets, 49, sustained permanent injuries while riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster at Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe theme park on April 30, 2025, during the park’s technical rehearsal, prior to its official opening on May 22, 2025. According to the complaint, her head “shook violently and slammed into her seat’s headrest.”

Nicholas Spetsas, the attorney representing Streets, expressed concerns about the roller coaster’s restraint system and criticized Universal for not adequately warning guests about the potential risks of the ride.

Streets sought damages of more than $50,000.

The case was filed on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, but Orange County court records for Friday, September 26, 2025, show a notice of settlement and a voluntary dismissal with prejudice as to the defendant, Universal. As of Saturday, September 27, 2025, court records still list the case as pending.

Streets filed her lawsuit just one week after a fatal incident on the same ride, in which 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala tragically lost his life on September 17, 2025. Authorities reported that Zavala lost consciousness during the ride and was later pronounced dead. The Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office concluded that his cause of death was “multiple blunt impact injuries.”

The woman’s alleged injuries do not appear in state records through July 15, 2025.

Stardust Racers, a dual-launch roller coaster that reaches speeds up to 62 miles per hour and heights of 133 feet, has remained closed since the fatality as investigators work to determine the cause of Zavala’s death.