LOUISVILLE, Ky. (LEX18) — An auto parts shop is fighting towards accountability after a UPS plane crash in Louisville killed three of its employees and eight of its customers two weeks ago.
A funeral was held on Wednesday for one of its employees, John "John Boy" Loucks.
"You know my heart goes out to those families. They didn't come in that day to not go home," said owner Sean Garber. "We were so fortunate to have really good people around us, and through that process, we built the business."
Garber says he first opened the business in 2006, and one of his first hires was Loucks., who worked as a heavy equipment operator with the business. He is described as being an instrumental part of the company and was a close friend of Garber.
All that's left of the auto parts shop now is mangled metal and a deadly reminder. After a UPS plane's left engine detached during takeoff, and crashed into the business, killing 14 people.
"As soon as (an employee) went outside, she screamed, the scrap office blew up," said Garber. "She showed me the image of the smoke, and it was this huge fireball. It looked like, I've said it before, it looked like hell's fury. It was fire, it was big, there were explosions and popping explosions everywhere."
Garber says he knew within ten minutes that four of its employees were missing. Three of them died at the crash site: Megan Washburn, 35, John "John Boy" Loucks, 52, and Trinadette "Trina" Chavez, 37.
He says the fourth employee is still in the hospital with 50% of his body burned.
The three UPS crew members and eight Grade A customers also died on the property.
"This was a tragedy that was avoidable. That was caused by either human incompetence, human negligence, or human selfishness, or all three. But it was avoidable," said Garber.
He says Washburn and Chavez were both ambitious and hard workers. They worked alongside one another and were always putting the customers first.
Although the area is closed because of an ongoing investigation, Garber says it's completely unrecognizable. Customers' parked cars are still there, but now charred.
"It's hard for the brain to process. To be standing where you stood 10,000 times and seeing something different than the Fusa lodge," he said. "The broken fusa lodge, and the landing gear of an MD-11, and then look over and you see windows, but there's nothing. It's completely gone."
He says while the company is grieving, they are beyond grateful for the community's support and compassion.
Its next step is toward accountability: "We are driven to be certain that we honor the people who are lost and we hold accountable the people responsible."
Garber says a funeral for Chavez will be held on Friday.
