A 20-year-old man from Florida was hit by a dump truck while working. Emergency Services declared him dead at the scene and his family are now suing the company.
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According to a news release by the Tampa Police Department, the incident occurred on March 17, just before 1 PM. The release explains that the crash 'killed two adults and sent several others to the hospital.'
Investigators say that a 2015 Kenworth Dump Truck was driving northbound, approaching East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. The driver, 40, didn't notice the traffic ahead of him had stopped. He swerved to avoid a collision, but as he switched lanes, he drove into the back of a minivan instead. The minivan had a pair of 'juvenile passengers' with a 60-year-old man behind the wheel.
The truck then 'veered onto the shoulder' and hit Ismael Coss Jr, 20, killing him. He reportedly exited a company box truck while traffic was stopped to place a company sign next to the shoulder. The truck still had momentum and plowed into three other vehicles before finally stopping.
Emergency Services transported the minivan driver and its passengers to a local hospital, but authorities pronounced the driver deceased. One passenger reportedly sustained serious injuries, but both were in stable condition. The drivers of two vehicles the truck hit before stopping also received medical treatment. The press release notes that the truck driver exhibited no 'signs of impairment.'
Authorities are investigating the incident but cite careless driving as the cause.
The Family Of The 20-Year-Old Have Filed A Lawsuit
Per WFLA, Coss Jr was in a team of movers with College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving. Part of the job was placing advertisement boards at local intersections. Ismael Coss Sr, his father, rushed to the scene when he was notified, but his son was already pronounced dead. Coss Sr reportedly explained, "I see my son, and I'm just imagining what he saw coming from behind when he stepped out of the vehicle to do something that his job asked him to do."
The outlet also explains that the family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against College Hunks. The family's attorney, Charles Spinner, reportedly said, "Our hope with this lawsuit is that this family will find some sense of justice for the loss of their son and some accountability for the tragic loss of a very young and precious life." College Hunks has set up a GoFundMe to raise funds for the family and help with funeral costs.
