‘I never intended to bury my son.’ Parents push for change at CLT after worker’s death
The parents of a 24-year-old man who died in a baggage vehicle accident at Charlotte Douglas International Airport last year are calling for safer working conditions at the airport.
Baggage handler Kendrick Hudson died last August after the baggage tug he was driving overturned. Police say Hudson had swerved to avoid a piece of luggage on the tarmac. Hudson worked for Piedmont Airlines, a regional subsidiary of American Airlines.
Hudson’s parents, Erika Vernon and Leon Hudson, have filed a lawsuit against American Airlines and the city of Charlotte.
They addressed reporters at the airport Tuesday afternoon. Vernon said she wants the airport and airline to make changes.
“I just want them to be held accountable for what’s going on because this feeling — I never intended to bury my son,” Vernon said. “He was 24 years old.”
The union which represents Hudson and other Piedmont Airline agents had brought up lighting concerns with the airline months before Hudson’s death, CWA Local 3645 Vice President Donielle Prophete said.
The North Carolina Department of Labor is still investigating the death.
‘He loved that job’
Kendrick Hudson was saving up money to travel for his 25th birthday in November 2019, his mother said .
In fact, said his father, Kendrick Hudson had picked up an extra shift the day he died.
“He loved that job,” Leon Hudson said. “The day he came in to work was his day off.”
Leon Hudson, who uses a wheelchair, said his son had been his caretaker for six years. He didn’t just lose his son, he said. “He was my legs.”
Vernon said that “to know Kendrick was to love Kendrick,” and described her son as “a cheerful person who never met a stranger. I’m just devastated by all of this.”
Safety concerns
The family was accompanied by their lawyers Alex Hilliard and Ben Crump.
Crump called for the city and airport to adopt a “Kendrick Hudson policy,” ensuring worker safety with adequate lighting on the tarmac.
“We want American Airlines and the airport to send this family the message that Kendrick’s life did matter,” Crump said Tuesday. “And not just with words, but with actions.”
The lawsuit was filed in Mecklenburg County Court. The city of Charlotte owns and operates the airport, which does not use taxpayer money.
In a statement to the Observer in response to the suit, the airport stated, “The airport’s number one priority is the safety and security of our passengers and the men and women who work here.… The airport and our partners constantly review safety and security measures.”
American Airlines spokeswoman Crystal Byrd responded to the lawsuit in a statement to the Observer last week, sending condolences to Hudson’s family. “Safety is our number one priority and the first consideration in every decision we make and we are committed to providing a safe work environment for all of our team members.”
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 3:44 PM.
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