A driver of a GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck was involved in a serious accident at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, crashing into the terminal at high speed. Fortunately, there were no fatalities; however, the driver is now in critical condition at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, as reported by the Florida Highway Patrol.
According to a report from FOX13, the incident occurred early Thursday morning at approximately 2:51 a.m. The white Sierra burst through a wall that separates the airport’s runway from the baggage claim area. Security footage, shared on the network’s Facebook page, captured the truck speeding along the runway before colliding head-on with the wall and continuing into the terminal, where it was ultimately stopped by a car rental counter.
At the time of the incident, the airport was mostly deserted due to the late hour. However, Fredrick Piccolo, the airport’s president and CEO, stated that ground crews were servicing a late-night flight, which accounted for the presence of a couple of employees behind the counters seen in the video. The employees were reportedly alerted by the loud crash and managed to take cover behind their counters in time.
“We actually had a late flight, but no one else was here in the baggage claim area except a couple of workers,” Piccolo explained to FOX 13. “If this happened during the day, it would’ve been a much different story.”
Local authorities are also puzzled about how a civilian truck ended up speeding down an airport runway. Security footage shows the same Sierra traveling north on U.S. Highway 41 shortly before it crashed into a chain-link fence and entered the FAA-controlled area. The truck did not appear to slow down before hitting the fence or the terminal wall, leading officials to suspect that the driver may not have been conscious or aware of his surroundings.
The driver was identified as 40-year-old Juan Monsivis from Bradenton, Florida. However, local authorities have not been able to question him due to his medical condition.
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