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Subscribe to RSSA Southwest Airlines employee at Washington Dulles International Airport died on Friday after being injured in a collision with a luggage cart and a vehicle used to transport passengers.
The incident, according to airline spokesperson Brandy King, occurred on Thursday at approximately 7 a.m. ET.
The employee, who has not been named, was rushed to an area hospital and received medical attention. The airline learned early Friday that the employee died.
"We continue to work with the local authorities and the airport to investigate the accident," King said in a statement to msnbc.com. "The Southwest Airlines Family is greatly saddened by the passing of our Southwest Family Member, and we extend our heartfelt sympathies and support to his entire family at this time."
The airline said it is not planning on releasing additional information at this time.
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This employee's death should be investigated to find out who caused this incident. Accountability and responsibility.
..."We continue to work with the local authorities and the airport to investigate the accident," King said
I think they're taking your advice
Vehicle used to transport passengers? Does this mean a bus hit a golf cart or is the passenger transport smaller?
No Dulles has those giant people movers to transport passengers from one terminal to another.
It wasn't the guys fault. I was there. it was the idiot driving the shuttle, the bastard didnt bother stopping until he dragged the tug & carts some 200ft. I'm sure justice wont be served. It's a fuggin' shame.
Hey Southwest: This man was not a member of your family. He was your employee, who you paid minimal wages for dangerous, hard work.
Actions speak louder than words...you like to say employees are "family members", however, your top executives would never treat their own family members they way they treat their employees.
tompca, either you haare a former employee with an ax to grind or you really know nothing about Southwest and how they treat their employees. They DO NOT pay them minimum wages. They are NOT outsourced contract workers like many other airlines, and at SWA they really DO put their people first. My brother is a SWA flight attendant and the entire company is saddened at the loss of a member of their family.
May this gentleman rest in peace.
emdf9a - obviously, you are biased, and you are wrong. Care to try again?
Oh Wow. This is terrible news. RIP
Need more information.
A luggage cart and another piece of equipment? Like a fuel truck? A passenger bus?
a plane ?????
A Southwest Airlines employee at Washington Dulles International Airport died on Friday after being injured in a collision with a luggage cart and a vehicle used to transport passengers.
Scroll up and re-read.......it's right there.
Dulles Airport has raised passenger transports to move people between terminals. It would be very easy for a collision between one of them and a luggage transport vehicle to occur. The driver's seat is in the front of the passenger transport and it is probably 20 feet above the surface of the tarmac. If the luggage vehicle driver was not paying attention and drove into the mechanism under the passenger transport towards the back, the passenger transport driver could be totally unaware of the accident.
I flew out of Dulles recently and rode on one of the passenger transporters, they are huge! They kind of look like the vehicles they put tourists in to view polar bears but larger than that!
With a $6 billion expansion project their at the airport, I thought they would have gotten rid of those people movers.
When I worked for now defunct Eastern...the old airport before new Hartsfield, saw some weird/bad s##t. Flight attendant walks into prop of an Electra...parts of her distributed all around the terminal tarmac. A Delta lad (wing-walker)..got blasted into an L1011's main gear. The huge tire ran over both legs at the knee...flattening to a pancake, the pressure pushing up into his untouched remainder of body...he blew up and was hosed down the drainage holes. Jetway rolled over another guy, scream heard over jet engines...he survived and came to a Halloween party dressed as Captain Ahab. (peg leg.) Then I got slammed by a 3/4 ton pick up truck estimated doing 50 in a 15 mph tarmac speed limit...flew over a jetway, landed 100 ft away. Lost right kidney, two contusions size of grapefruits in skull, almost severed 3rd vertebrae. Yup...life, and death, at the airport.
Something is very wrong with you.
I'm sure they were all reported as a "airport accident involving vaguely identified vehicles" - just like this story...no need for the public to know the exact gory details.
Jesus Christ. Pretty amazing stories you have there, Beev. Thanks for sharing, and glad you're still with us!
The dude got run over by a moving vehicle is all....
I hope this isn't what happens when you don't charge for luggage. Cut corners on safety?
Oh come on. Your attempt at associating no luggage charge to safety is laughable and ridiculous. An employee died because of an accident. If there was negligence it was likely that of one other Southwest worker. Don't try to disparage the entire company.
considering the details of this article are pretty sparce, perhaps no one at Southwest was to blame at all. Perhaps the fault lies with the person driving the passenger transport and not the person handling the free bags. Perhaps it was simply a tragic accident - they happen sometimes without anyone being at fault at all.
Perhaps we should all focus instead on the fact that someone has died and that this is sad for whomever he leaves behind - the co-workers who will surely miss him as well as his family and friends.
@Counting...
It was obvious sarcasm. Stay on your meds.
No @!$%#. Idiot.
I wonder if it was one of the yellow flag throwers for the bag check in fees...
Sad , my condolences to the family of the worker.
the ramp side of the airport is a very dangerous place to work, hazards galore. not unlike duty on the deck of an aircraft carrier-constant motion.. hope Southwest does the right thing and take care of the family if the employee had one. RIP.
I've flown in and out of Dulles quite a bit. If it's a vehicle used to transport passengers, like the article says, they are freakin HUGE! They have huge knobby tires and can lift themselves up to the passenger terminals and back down to drive. Think very large dumptruck size with tires on steroids. Ouch!!! May he rest in piece and I hope South West takes care of his family.
not cool!
Poor lady.
:(
I don't know who lacks intelligence more.... The writer of the article or some of the people posting comments. Reading comprehension and writing ability are both appalling.
I find your disdain and criticism for both the posters and writer very appealing!
I think you may need to lower your expectations
Areyoukiddingme-473918
Are you an grammar teacher, or what?
I found the article to be very well written and I believe the majority of postings are right on the money.
Great! One more reason for their employees to be rude and treat passengers like $H!T
I fly a LOT and my opinion is that Southwest is the ONLY airline I fly where every employee DOESN'T act like they hate their job. In fact, most seem to really enjoy working for Southwest.
Actually, it's one more reason for them to be sad. They lost someone they cared about. Working in Customer Service myself, I know how hard it is to deal with people who feel their entitled to more than they paid for and treating you like you're worthless. I can't imagine how much harder it is to do in person with a smile on your face while grieving the loss of a friend. Hopefully if you fly Southwest in the near future you will be one of the wonderful customers who will be kind to them and extend them Grace and maybe express your sorrow for their loss.
May the Lord Jesus Christ be with their family through this mourning period. Thank you Father for consoling the family members, amen.
they need more than lord jesus....you got any other phantoms you can offer up? ...maybe a stronger one?
tlicbs - thank you for having the courage to pray on the message board and taking your time to ask for God to comfort the family. Whether they are believers or not, whether anyone on here desires a "stronger phantom" than Christ - living out the courage of your convictions is a beautiful thing and it is appreciated.
I had a connection through Dulles this past Wednesday. As loonsinger stated, these "Passenger transport vehicles" are humongous. Think two city buses long and three wide. I can see how one could collide with another vehicle. I am sure they will have to look at the traffic procedures in place. I would think the procedures should have the "Passenger transport vehicle" have right-of-way as they are too big and unwieldy to take any evasive maneuvers.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the victim.
I am surprised more of this doesn't happen, as busy as the tarmacs are at most airports. Planes, fuel trucks, baggage "trains", and people all moving around. A lot of different types of vehicles and objects to keep your eyes on. I feel terrible for his family. These are generally very hard working people who are under a lot of pressure to get planes loaded and unloaded, and for the most part do a very good job. Rest in peace.
i hope he was wearing safety glasses
Sad news. Dulles needs to finally get rid of those people-movers. It's a dangerous and ridiculously antiquated way to move people between terminals.
Southwest Employees:
I am so very sorry for your loss and you will all be in my prayers.
Negligence Homicide or could have been intentional. Somebody should be held accountable.
Airport ramps are very dangerous places. There's all kinds of vehicular traffic going every which way, plus the ever present danger of getting too close to the sucking end of a jet engine. Condolences to the family of the deceased and to the Southwest coworkers.
(Throws Yellow Flag)
I've got illegal bag fees, and a dumb arse shuttle driver!...
As sad as this is, one needs more information for a meaningful comment.