A hospitalized Delta Airlines employee found out why she was in a medical gown and hooked up to monitors after waking up from an unconscious state.
Camdyn “Coco” Davis, 19, learned she was hit by a distracted truck driver while directing a plane into its gate, discovering details about the tragic accident only after viewing footage on social media.
On Saturday, Dec. 10, around 6 p.m., Davis was working on the tarmac at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, guiding an aircraft to Gate C-36, a job she has done hundreds of times before. This time was different. An oncoming lavatory waste truck was driving in the same open space at the same time; however, the driver was not paying attention, 11 Alive reports.
Instead, he was looking down at his tablet, he said, and he ran over Davis.
After hitting Davis, the truck driver and another Delta worker hurried to see if she was OK. Another employee thought she died, after not seeing her breathe, and within minutes the emergency workers were on the scene.
Medical professionals rushed to her aid and she was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she was treated for a concussion, fractured skull,l and brain damage.
Video of the horrifying accident quickly made its rounds on social media.
Her uncle Joe Hayes told the press when she was found, immediately after the accident, “she wasn’t breathing.”
“She was, you know, completely unconscious, if not dead for a moment,” Hayes explained.
Davis did not recall the events that led to her being in a hospital bed.
“Camdyn learned about this the same we all did, in terms of watching the video and being shocked that way because she had no recollection of what happened,” Hayes said, adding, “As soon as impact occurred, she was knocked unconscious and doesn’t remember any of it.”
Delta Airlines released a statement regarding the accident:
“Delta teams are fully investigating an accident involving an employee injury in Atlanta on Saturday evening, as nothing is more important than the safety of our people and our customers.”
“The employee was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” the company shared.
According to Atlanta News First, a Delta employee commented on the incident, “I don’t know what the driver was doing, but I can only assume he wasn’t paying attention.”
“It’s hard to believe that she wasn’t able to be seen because they outfit them to be seen by planes in the sk,y so someone only a few feet in front of her should’ve been able to see her,” the anonymous person continued.
Still, according to the relative, as a result of her injuries, Davis will require 24-hour care. Hayes also said doctors have no clear timeline on what her full recovery will look like.
The uncle said the family is “trying to stay positive, prayerful, and hope for the best.”
Hayes said, “[We] believe, you know, and have faith that she will return 100 percent.”
Davis’ mother Chanelle Harris, started a GoFundMe for her daughter to update her supporters on her health status and raise money to help her recover.
“Despite being visible to airplanes in the sky, her orange vest and wands were somehow not visible to the driver,” Harris marveled.
She said Sunday that Davis was discharged but had to be rushed back to the hospital,l where they discovered “small brain bleeds.”
“She is also experiencing frequent mood swings, irritability, anger, lashing out, confusion and forgetfulness,” Harris wrote. “Please continue to pray for my baby!”
The mother was most grateful for her second-born child’s spine intact but said she suffered many “broken bones in her face” in addition to the other injuries. The family is preparing “for a lengthy recovery process.”
“I would not wish this on any mother, and I thank God for keeping my baby girl with me,” Harris wrote. “I am a mother of four daughters and couldn’t imagine life without each of them.”
The crowdfunding goal is $100,000, and in two days, the family has raised a little over $35,000. Several pilots and other workers in the aviation field have donated to the online fundraiser.
The Atlanta Police Department said the incident is under investigation.
