A Florida woman whose husband was killed when the van he was driving was slammed into by an Amazon cargo plane has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
The plane, which was transporting contact lenses from Puerto Rico, overran a runway at Miami International Airport on Sept. 6. It slammed into a van carrying seven employees from a company that cleans aircrafts, as well as a Toyota SUV,
Five people in the van died, including the driver, Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53. His wife, Yaraisi Santiso Morejon, alleges multiple concurrent failures contributed to her husband's death.
"Our hearts go out to Yaraisi and her family, as well as all those who were impacted by what we believe was a preventable tragedy," said Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan. "No one should lose their loved one this way, and the filing of this lawsuit is just the beginning of our fight to secure justice and accountability for Mr. Naranjo's death. Everyone who played a role in this horrific crash will be held accountable."
The lawsuit names Amazon, Inc. and Amazon Air Cargo as defendants and 21 Air LLC.
Pilots Joseph Carroll and Jaime Felipe Silva Molina also are named. The two men were treated for injuries and released from a hospital.
The lawsuit claims pilot error, inadequate training and the 32-year-old aircraft contributed to the crash.
"We allege that this was not a freak accident, but a foreseeable and preventable disaster caused by negligence," said Morgan & Morgan attorney Mike Morgan. "What we've already uncovered points to a series of failures by the people flying the plane, the companies that put it in the air and the systems that were supposed to prevent this exact kind of tragedy. Yaraisi deserves answers and justice. We intend to get her both."
Aside from Naranjo, the deceased victims are: Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Julio C. Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47.
Two other people who were in the van remain hospitalized. Ridoel Averhoff Diaz, 32, is in critical condition and Roosevelt Sebastian Perdomo Torres, 36, is in stable condition, according to the sheriff's office.
A third person, Eugenio Corredor, 79, was in a Toyota SUV that was hit by the airplane. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.
The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the case.
A summary of events based on audio recordings recovered from the aircraft detail the final moments before the crash. Records show 1:42 seconds before landing, one pilot cautioned "they were too fast."
It was revealed that "no indication that speed breaks or thrust reversers were deployed."
Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network's Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida's breaking news. You can get all of Florida's best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida widow files lawsuit after husband killed in Amazon plane crash