Workers directing airplanes on the wet tarmac at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Nov 9, 2022. The collision occurred around 6pm Saturday, Dec 10, as the ramp agent was guiding a flight into one of the gates at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to Atlanta police. — South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
(This story includes a link to a video that some viewers may find disturbing.)
A Delta Airlines employee is on the mend after she was struck by a service truck at Atlanta’s airport over the weekend.
The collision occurred around 6pm Saturday, Dec 10, as the ramp agent was guiding a flight into one of the gates at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to Atlanta police. That’s when the driver, who police said was admittedly distracted by his tablet, struck her on the tarmac.
The woman’s family shared video of the disturbing incident online, showing the moment the truck hits her from behind.
Officers responded to Concourse C and found the agent on the ground “bleeding from her head”, according to a police report obtained by McClatchy News. Medics rushed her to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Authorities said the worker was hit by a lavatory service truck. The driver, who wasn’t named, acknowledged he was distracted and “looking down at his tablet” before he plowed into the ramp agent.
The woman’s mother said her daughter was in stable condition but suffered several broken bones, a fractured skull and a concussion, according to a GoFundMe launched by the family.
“She has had difficulty finding her words and remembering things since the incident,” her mother wrote. “We pray for a full recovery, but know that it will be a long one that will require much love, attention and support.”
The service truck driver was cited and stripped of his airport badge before Delta staff escorted him from the area, police said.
A Delta spokesperson confirmed the airline is looking into the incident.
“Delta teams are fully investigating an accident involving an employee injury in Atlanta on Saturday evening, as nothing is more important than the safety of our people and our customers,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The employee was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.” – The Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service
