People in a baggage claim area initially fear a terrorist attack as an errant SUV shatters glass doors.
By BRADY DENNIS
Published June 19, 2004
[Times photo: Chris Zuppa]
A 2001 Nissan Xterra crashed through glass doors and into a baggage claim area at Tampa International Airport on Friday, sending one man to the hospital and closing a portion of the area for several hours while workers cleaned up debris.
TAMPA - A 74-year-old man crashed his sport-utility vehicle through a set of glass doors and into a baggage claim area at Tampa International Airport on Friday, injuring another man.
Charles J. Plaskowsky of Oldsmar was trying to parallel-park his 2001 Nissan Xterra about 2:30 p.m. when he accidentally gunned the vehicle in reverse, sending it smashing through the doors, said airport spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan.
Another 74-year-old man, John S. Barram of Lakeland, was pinned beneath the Xterra. He was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital with minor injuries and expected to be released Friday night, a hospital spokesman said.
The accident happened near baggage belt No. 5, which serves Northwest and KLM airlines, Geoghagan said. Dozens of people were in the area at the time, but no one else was injured.
Tampa airport police and local rescue workers swarmed the scene of the accident, which some passengers initially feared might be a terrorist attack. The emergency crews used a car jack from the Xterra to lift the vehicle and free Barram, Geoghagan said.
She said a portion of the baggage claim area was closed for several hours while workers cleaned up debris, but business returned to normal later Friday afternoon.
No charges had been filed pending an investigation into the crash, Geoghagan said.
- Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
