Latest news with #bulldozer
Al Arabiya
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Family of a man crushed at an Atlanta homeless encampment sues the city
The family of a homeless man who died after a bulldozer crushed his tent during an encampment sweep sued the city of Atlanta on Friday over his death, calling it tragic and preventable. The lawsuit, filed by Cornelius Taylor's sister and son, alleges that city employees failed to look to see if there was anyone inside the tents in the encampment before using a bulldozer to clear it. Taylor, 46, was inside one of the tents and was crushed by the truck when his tent was flattened, the lawsuit says. City officials had called for the clearing of the encampment in preparation for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The encampment was blocks away from Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King had preached. An autopsy report later revealed Taylor's pelvic bone had been broken and that he suffered damage to organs and internal bleeding. 'A tent that was occupied by a human being was crushed by this heavy equipment. That's obviously wrong,' attorney Harold Spence said. 'Nobody looked inside the tent, and if someone who looked inside had taken 10 seconds to do so, this tragedy could have been averted. And if you don't know what's inside, you don't crush it.' The lawsuit, filed in Fulton County State Court, asks for a jury trial and seeks unspecified damages as well as repayment for medical expenses, funeral costs, and legal fees. It was filed against the city and seven unnamed city employees, including the driver of the bulldozer. The US Supreme Court ruled last year that cities across the country can enforce bans on homeless camping, but clearings are controversial. Taylor's death sparked outrage among local advocates and neighbors at the encampment who called the city's policies on clearing encampments deeply inhumane. They said the city faces a dire affordable housing shortage that makes it inevitable that people will end up living on the streets. The family's lawyers described the lawsuit as a call for city leaders to treat homeless people as deserving of respect and dignity instead of rushing to clear their communities as if they were invisible. City officials have said they are doing that. Right after Taylor's death, the city put a temporary moratorium on encampment sweeps. With the FIFA World Cup coming to Atlanta next year, the city has since resumed clearing encampments with the controversial goal of eliminating all homelessness in the downtown area before then. Last week, the city closed the camp where Taylor lived and said officials coordinated with the local nonprofit who leads the city's homelessness services to offer people living there housing with supportive services. Lawyers said they were grateful for the city's efforts, but more work is needed. Members of the Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition said they are still paying for hotel rooms for eight former encampment residents. Taylor's lawyers and family called on Mayor Andre Dickens' administration to cut through red tape, such as issues with documents, and help the others get housing. A spokesperson for the city did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon. Taylor's sister, Darlene Chaney, teared up during a Friday news conference where lawyers announced the lawsuit as she re-listened to descriptions of the gruesome injuries her brother suffered. She said Taylor loved to read everything from science fiction to the Bible. He was eager to leave the encampment to rebuild his life and stayed positive about his future even as barriers such as getting him an ID slowed that process down, she said. She misses his annoying weekly calls – and said now she only has one brother to annoy her. She misses having two. 'We're here just because someone in my own personal opinion was lazy,' Chaney said.
The Independent
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Family of a man crushed at an Atlanta homeless encampment sues the city
The family of a homeless man who died after a bulldozer crushed his tent during an encampment sweep sued the city of Atlanta on Friday over his death, calling it 'tragic and preventable.' The lawsuit filed by Cornelius Taylor's sister and son alleges that city employees failed to look to see if there was anyone inside the tents in the encampment before using a bulldozer to clear it. Taylor, 46, was inside one of the tents and was crushed by the truck when his tent was flattened, the lawsuit says. City officials had called for the clearing of the encampment in preparation for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The encampment was blocks away from Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King had preached. An autopsy report later revealed Taylor's pelvic bone had been broken and that he suffered damage to organs and internal bleeding. 'A tent that was occupied by a human being was crushed by this heavy equipment. That's obviously wrong,' attorney Harold Spence said. 'Nobody looked inside the tent, and if someone who looked inside had taken 10 seconds to do so, this tragedy could have been averted. And if you don't know what's inside, you don't crush it.' The lawsuit filed in Fulton County State Court asks for a jury trial and seeks unspecified damages, as well as repayment for medical expenses, funeral costs and legal fees. It was filed against the city and seven unnamed city employees, including the driver of the bulldozer. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that cities across the country can enforce bans on homeless camping. But clearings are controversial. Taylor's death sparked outrage among local advocates and neighbors at the encampment, who called the city's policies on clearing encampments deeply inhumane. They said the city faces a dire affordable housing shortage that makes it inevitable that people will end up living on the streets. The family's lawyers described the lawsuit as a call for city leaders to treat homeless people as deserving of 'respect and dignity' instead of rushing to clear their communities 'as if they were invisible.' City officials have said they are doing that. Right after Taylor's death, the city put a temporary moratorium on encampment sweeps. With the FIFA World Cup coming to Atlanta next year, the city has since resumed clearing encampments with the controversial goal of eliminating all homelessness in the downtown area before then. Last week, the city closed the camp where Taylor lived and said officials coordinated with the local nonprofit who leads the city's homelessness services to offer people living there housing with supportive services. Lawyers said they were grateful for the city's efforts, but more work is needed. Members of the Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition said they are still paying for hotel rooms for eight former encampment residents. Taylor's lawyers and family called on Mayor Andre Dickens' administration cut through red tape such as issues with documents and help the others get housing. A spokesperson for the city did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon. Taylor's sister Darlene Chaney teared up during a Friday news conference where lawyers announced the lawsuit as she re-listened to descriptions of the gruesome injuries her brother suffered. She said Taylor loved to read everything from science fiction to the Bible. He was eager to leave the encampment to rebuild his life, and stayed positive about his future even as barriers such as getting him an ID slowed that process down, she said. She misses his 'annoying' weekly calls — and said now she only has one brother to annoy her. She misses having two. 'We're here, just because someone, in my own personal opinion, was lazy,' Chaney said. -—- Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Washington Post
18-07-2025
- Washington Post
Family of a man crushed at an Atlanta homeless encampment sues the city
ATLANTA — The family of a homeless man who died after a bulldozer crushed his tent during an encampment sweep sued the city of Atlanta on Friday over his death, calling it 'tragic and preventable.' The lawsuit filed by Cornelius Taylor's sister and son alleges that city employees failed to look to see if there was anyone inside the tents in the encampment before using a bulldozer to clear it. Taylor, 46, was inside one of the tents and was crushed by the truck when his tent was flattened, the lawsuit says.
Associated Press
18-07-2025
- Associated Press
Family of a man crushed at an Atlanta homeless encampment sues the city
ATLANTA (AP) — The family of a homeless man who died after a bulldozer crushed his tent during an encampment sweep sued the city of Atlanta on Friday over his death, calling it 'tragic and preventable.' The lawsuit filed by Cornelius Taylor's sister and son alleges that city employees failed to look to see if there was anyone inside the tents in the encampment before using a bulldozer to clear it. Taylor, 46, was inside one of the tents and was crushed by the truck when his tent was flattened, the lawsuit says. City officials had called for the clearing of the encampment in preparation for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The encampment was blocks away from Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King had preached. An autopsy report later revealed Taylor's pelvic bone had been broken and that he suffered damage to organs and internal bleeding. 'A tent that was occupied by a human being was crushed by this heavy equipment. That's obviously wrong,' attorney Harold Spence said. 'Nobody looked inside the tent, and if someone who looked inside had taken 10 seconds to do so, this tragedy could have been averted. And if you don't know what's inside, you don't crush it.' The lawsuit filed in Fulton County State Court asks for a jury trial and seeks unspecified damages, as well as repayment for medical expenses, funeral costs and legal fees. It was filed against the city and seven unnamed city employees, including the driver of the bulldozer. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that cities across the country can enforce bans on homeless camping. But clearings are controversial. Taylor's death sparked outrage among local advocates and neighbors at the encampment, who called the city's policies on clearing encampments deeply inhumane. They said the city faces a dire affordable housing shortage that makes it inevitable that people will end up living on the streets. The family's lawyers described the lawsuit as a call for city leaders to treat homeless people as deserving of 'respect and dignity' instead of rushing to clear their communities 'as if they were invisible.' City officials have said they are doing that. Right after Taylor's death, the city put a temporary moratorium on encampment sweeps. With the FIFA World Cup coming to Atlanta next year, the city has since resumed clearing encampments with the controversial goal of eliminating all homelessness in the downtown area before then. Last week, the city closed the camp where Taylor lived and said officials coordinated with the local nonprofit who leads the city's homelessness services to offer people living there housing with supportive services. Members of the Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition said they were grateful for the city's efforts but said they are still paying for hotel rooms for eight former encampment residents. His lawyers and family called on Mayor Andre Dickens' administration cut through red tape such as issues with documents and help the others get housing. A spokesperson for the city did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon. Taylor's sister Darlene Chaney teared up during a Friday news conference where lawyers announced the lawsuit as she re-listened to descriptions of the gruesome injuries her brother suffered. She said Taylor loved to read everything from science fiction to the Bible. He was eager to leave the encampment to rebuild his life, and stayed positive about his future even as barriers such as getting him an ID slowed that process down, she said. She misses his 'annoying' weekly calls — and said now she only has one brother to annoy her. She misses having two. 'We're here, just because someone, in my own personal opinion, was lazy,' Chaney said. —- Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Bulldozer driver who reversed over a grandmother crushing her to death as she collected shells on an Italian beach was high on cocaine, drug tests reveal
The man who bulldozed a grandmother collecting shells on a beach was allegedly on cocaine after failing routine tests when he was arrested. The bulldozer driver, Lerry Gnoli, 54, said he was 'doing works on the beach' but has been charged with manslaughter and labour violations. Elisa Spadvecchia, 66, was instantly crushed to death when Gnoli allegedly ran her over with the 15 tonne machine, leaving her body so horrifically mangled that 'even the lifeguard who witnessed the scene fell ill and ended up in hospital'. Gnoli was part of the team tasked with flattening the Pinarella di Cervia beach area, near Bologna in Italy, for redevelopment when witnesses say he recklessly swerved onto the main area of the packed shore line, The Sun reported. The allegedly coked-up driver holds a previous conviction for homicide after killing an 83-year-old man with his car while having cocaine in his system. He was given a driving ban and has not been allowed on any roads since 2023. Gnoli has been released without any pre-trial conditions. Although it was said at the time he was operating the heavy equipment without the correct licence, it has since been reported that he was still allowed to use construction vehicles so long as he avoided public roads. But onlookers have shared that the bulldozer also had no audible reversing sounds or warning lights. Gnoli was part of the team tasked with flattening the Pinarella di Cervia beach area, near Bologna in Italy , for redevelopment when witnesses say he recklessly swerved onto the main area of the packed shore line Ms Spadvecchia, a retired teacher, was on holiday with her ex-husband when he realised she hadn't returned from her walk. When he tracked her body down to the beach where she had been collecting shells and had decided to sunbathe on, Giovanni Sfregola said he entered an 'ocean of pain'. Mr Sfregola, who shares a three-month-old grandson with the victim, told local media: 'My wife went for her walk carrying only her phone. 'When it happened, she had nothing on her that could identify her. 'Not seeing her come back, I started calling her, but she didn't answer. So I used 'Find My iPhone' to locate her phone. 'Once I found it, I got someone to take me to the exact spot where, sadly, I found my wife. 'They didn't let me see her, but they told me that even the lifeguard who witnessed the scene fell ill and ended up in hospital.' Speaking about the tragic loss at such an exciting time in their lives, the retired policeman said: 'We were over the moon since my daughter's child was born. He's not even three months old yet. Gnoli was given a driving ban and has not been allowed on any roads since 2023 - he has been released without any pre-trial conditions 'Now, for us, it's just an ocean of pain. Something devastating that consumes you inside because you can't come to terms with it.' Tributes have been pouring in from loved ones and former pupils at the Quadri high school in Vicenza where she had retired from as an English teacher. A colleague and friend of many years, Donatella Lovison, said the news had left her 'breathless'. 'I couldn't believe it, hearing her name spoken! I remember all the fruitful moments of study and research spent together. I hope she gets justice!' she wrote Anna Spata, who worked with Ms Spadavecchia on a project, said: 'Very sad news. I remember Elisa with affection and esteem. 'My thoughts go back to the Poseidon project group and to our strong friendship, to the commitment and passion that united us.' Cinzia Zanesco said she was 'speechless' and knew her old colleague was 'enjoying this phase of life' with her new granddaughter. She added: 'It's crazy that she was killed in this way, it doesn't make sense. 'From one day to the next, from one moment to the next your life can change and everything can disappear. We have to realise this. 'We are preparing a letter to her husband and we will try to be close to him as much as possible as former colleagues of Elisa.' Elena Ruffato said 'We are dismayed - she spreads her arms - we are speechless in the face of a tragedy. 'She was a colleague full of vitality, she was very good with IT. 'She had retired before Covid, she would have been very useful to us when technology held up a shack that was leaking from all sides. 'We will try to be close to her husband in this terrible moment. You can't die like this, I hope he gets justice.' Another former colleague, Nico Pigato, said she was 'cheerful person' and 'well-liked by everyone'. 'She was one of the first to introduce the use of IT at school and her end-of-year sweets were legendary,' he added. Gnoli's lawyer, Vittoria Manes' said his client is 'terribly sorry' and that it is a 'huge tragedy'. He added: 'He can't understand how it could have happened and sends his condolences to the woman's family.' Since the tragedy took place on a beach, Gnoli can't be charged with road homicide despite driving a vehicle - a charge which could lead to an arrest.
