Forklift operator suffers life

Jun 26, 2023

A worker at Logan Airport died Tuesday from his injuries after the forklift he was operating near the JetBlue terminal fell on top of him, State Police said.

The worker, a 51-year-old man from Winthrop, died at Boston Medical Center on Tuesday afternoon, State Police said. His name has not been released.

The accident happened around 3:20 p.m. at an airport ramp by Gate C26, where public access is prohibited, said Jennifer Mehigan, a spokesperson for Massport, which manages Logan.

The worker, who was doing maintenance work for JetBlue through a subcontractor, was operating a Komatsu forklift in an outdoor loading area when he tried to drive through a lower bag service entrance, State Police said.

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“An awning over the entrance contained a lateral metal beam with a sign indicating vertical clearance of 8 feet, 6 inches,” State Police said. “The forklift’s extended backrest was too high to clear the lateral beam over the service entrance. The extended backrest collided with the beam, causing the forklift to tip over and come to rest on top of the victim, who had been ejected to the pavement.”

A JetBlue employee who heard the crash and several other coworkers rushed over to help, State Police said. They used an aircraft tow bar to lift the forklift enough to pull the worker out, and troopers tried life-saving measures when they arrived moments later, State Police said. The man was then rushed to Boston Medical Center.

There was no aircraft in the area when the accident happened, Mehigan said.

An investigation is ongoing. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening. JetBlue could also not immediately be reached for comment.

Correspondent Daniel Kool contributed to this report.

Maeve Lawler can be reached at [email protected]. Emily Sweeney can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.