Officials are still trying to learn more about what caused a fatal accident on the tarmac at Logan International Airport on Monday evening. A 59-year-old Melrose, Massachusetts, man was on the tarmac guiding a lavatory waste truck toward an airplane when something went terribly wrong. The truck, which is essentially a Ford F-350 that has been modified for airport use, was backing up toward a 737 at Logan when the truck struck the worker who was guiding the truck.
The tarmac worker was killed in the workplace accident. The driver of the modified pickup truck was overwhelmed by the tragedy. The 47-year-old man who was driving at the time of the accident was later transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, suffering from stress and other non-life-threatening ailments, according to state officials.
Many questions remain unanswered about what happened. Authorities say that there is no evidence that the driver of the truck was distracted or under the influence. However, due to the fatal accident, the driver was tested for alcohol and drugs. Officials also seized the driver’s cellphone.
Many job-related accidents may involve different types of machinery or tools. Workers may be injured in an equipment-related accident. In the Logan airport fatal accident the issue may seem more akin to a pedestrian versus motor-vehicle type accident.
However, news accounts say that the truck is a modified truck for use as a lavatory-waste vehicle that services planes. It is not clear from the media whether the modifications create potential worker safety issues. Similarly, it is not clear whether the victim and driver work for the same employer.
Source: Boston Herald, “DA: Man’s death on Logan tarmac was an accident,” O’Ryan Johnson, Dec. 31, 2013
