1 week Ago By People
A grieving family in Florida is suing their late son’s employer after he was killed while on the job. The Tampa Police Department said in a news release that a multi-vehicle crash killed two adults when a 2015 Kenworth dump truck "failed to notice stopped traffic ahead" on March 17 around 1 p.m.
local time. Several people were also sent to the hospital. The driver of the dump truck suddenly changed lanes in an effort to avoid a collision, but instead "hit the back of a minivan that was driven by an adult male in his early 60s with two juvenile passengers," per police.
The driver of the minivan was pronounced dead at a local hospital, while the two children were also hospitalized but are said to be in stable condition. After colliding with the minivan, the dump truck "veered onto the shoulder, hitting an adult male in his early 20s, who momentarily got out of a company box truck while traffic was stopped to place a company sign on the grassy shoulder," police said. "The passenger who exited the vehicle was pronounced deceased on scene.
" The dump truck proceeded to hit three additional vehicles, police reported, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Local outlet WFLA reported that 20-year-old Ismael Coss Jr. was the man struck on the shoulder of the road.
At the time of the accident, he was working for College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving. Part of his job, his family told WFLA, was placing advertising signs at intersections. Related: 3 Amish Siblings Die After Their Buggy Collides with an SUV, Throwing the Children from the Carriage When Coss Jr.
was struck, his coworkers called 911, as well as his father, Ismael Coss Sr., who rushed to the scene, per the outlet. "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," Coss Sr.
told WFLA. "They want them to stop at least at three different locations at three different intersections to be able to put in a yard sign for marketing for this company," the grieving father further explained. The victim's mother, Diana Coss, told the outlet that College Hunks should "have safer practices" and "shouldn’t be putting kids at risk for their business.
" When questioned about the training protocols in place by the moving company, Coss Sr. said that his son never spoke of any. "Absolutely not," he said.
"What he did talk about was how he did not like to do that." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: 4-Year-Old Dies After 71-Year-Old Woman Loses 'Control' of Car, Colliding with Child on Sidewalk: Police The Coss family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against College Hunks, the dump truck company and the driver, per WFLA.
"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,” the family’s attorney Charles Spinner said. The news outlet reported that College Hunks has previously been cited four times for placing signs along the road, which is in violation with local ordinance. PEOPLE reached out to College Hunks for comment on Saturday, April 12, but did not immediately receive a response.
College Hunks provided a statement to WFLA, stating, "As you know, Ismael’s death is the subject of a pending lawsuit. As a company, it is our policy not to comment on pending litigation beyond the court filings." The company continued: "Everyone here at College HUNKS has been devastated by the loss of Ismael.
Since this terrible accident, our leadership team has been in frequent contact with Ismael’s family to offer our collective condolences and support. We miss Ismael and continue to keep his family in our thoughts and prayers." College Hunks started a GoFundMe page to support Coss Jr.
’s family. "We are heartbroken by the unexpected passing of our fellow HUNK, Ismael Coss. He was a dedicated team member, a great friend, and a beloved brother and son.
During this incredibly difficult time, we want to come together to support Ismael’s family," reads the description for the fundraiser, which has raised more than $11,000 so far. Read the original article on People.
