Worker dies, longshoreman hurt in crashes at Port Everglades
Worker dies, longshoreman hurt in crashes at Port Everglades
Linda Trischitta and Rebeca Piccardo Sun Sentinel
A man was injured Monday in an accident with a cargo container at Port Everglades, a county official said.
A cargo company supervisor driving a golf cart died Monday at Port Everglades when the cart and a truck collided — one of two accidents at the port that day, an official said.
Luisa Anderson, 40, of Miami Gardens, was driving the cart through the Sun Terminals shipping container yard around 2:30 p.m. The truck, called a yard mule, moves containers from docks to storage areas. Both vehicles collided in a four-way intersecting path, said Broward Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Joy Oglesby.
Anderson was ejected and run over by the truck driven by Theoplous Wright, 55, of Fort Lauderdale, said Oglesby.
The intersecting path that both vehicles were using isn’t regulated by traffic control devices such as stop signs or traffic signals.
Anderson was liked and respected on the cargo side of Port Everglades, Port Everglades spokeswoman Ellen Kennedy said.
"The whole port community is grieving for the family," Kennedy said.
She said Rev. Ronald Perkins, a chaplain for Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and at Seafarers' House, which serves the maritime community, was providing counseling.
Wright, an employee for Crowley Maritime Corporation, was "very shook up," according to Kennedy.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will also investigate, Oglesby said.
It was the second tragedy this year for Sun Terminals. In February, an employee was walking as his shift ended when he was struck by a tractor-trailer and died.
Earlier Monday, a longshoreman was hurt when his truck fell on its side.
The longshoreman, a member of Local 1526 who works for Florida International Terminal, was in a yard mule truck during the crash, Kennedy said.
"The truck driver was in the cab when he was hurt," Kennedy said. "He struck a piece of heavy equipment, part of a crane, and the truck rolled on its side."
The yard mule was carrying a fully loaded container that held granite and iron bars, according to preliminary reports, Kennedy said. The container had been unloaded from the Elisabeth-S, a Hamburg-Sud ship that docked at the port at 6 a.m. Monday.
Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue took the injured man to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was treated for minor injuries and released, Kennedy said.