LOUISVILLE, KY — The family of Tyrah Adams, a 35-year-old homeless woman who died after being picked up and crushed by a Louisville Metro garbage truck’s hydraulic claw, plans to file a lawsuit against the city following confirmation that she died from blunt force and compressional trauma.
Adams’ death on February 12 has sparked outrage from her family, who accuse city workers of failing to inspect the area before operating their equipment and then abandoning her after the incident. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office ruled her death accidental, but family attorney Stephanie Rivas contends the tragedy was completely preventable. Two Louisville Public Works employees involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave as police investigate.
The incident occurred during what city officials initially described as a routine cleanup operation in an alley near Cedar Street. Adams, who had been living behind a nearby convenience store, was among debris when the grappler truck began clearing trash from the area. According to a police report obtained by Wave3, the crane operator picked up a pile of trash containing Adams, set it back down, and got out to examine the pile. The operator then returned to the truck and drove forward without rendering aid. “She didn’t walk into this truck,” Rivas told Fox19. “They physically picked her up with that claw, squeezed her, compressed her, and dropped her. And left her there to find her own help.”
Witnesses reported that Adams managed to walk to the convenience store after being released from the hydraulic claw, where she collapsed in the doorway. A store clerk and customer found her with blood coming from her mouth and nose, unable to speak, and called 911. She was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital, where she died from her injuries. The Louisville Metro Police Department’s Public Integrity Unit reviewed surveillance footage that corroborated witness accounts of the incident. Mayor Craig Greenberg had initially characterized the death as an unfortunate accident, stating that Adams “could not be seen by the crew” and was “unseen” when she “suffered injuries.” However, the family disputes this characterization and believes crucial information is being withheld.
Adams had been homeless and was known to frequent the area where the incident occurred. Her sister, Sandra Akers, said the family had reunited with Adams in November after years of sporadic communication. “We had gone so long without knowing where she was, or if she was okay,” Akers told WHAS11. “I could not imagine what she was fighting, demons-wise. Whatever she was going through.” The sisters had lost touch over the years as Adams struggled with personal challenges. Akers remembered her sister for her “bright smile” and “laughter,” describing the pain of learning about the circumstances of her death as being “punched in the gut every single time something new comes out.”
The family’s legal team has raised questions about the city’s investigation and transparency. Rivas claims her investigators found that one internal camera on the garbage truck had been “covered up” during their inspection of the vehicle. The family has not been provided access to footage from the truck’s outward-facing camera or nearby surveillance cameras that police reviewed. “They had to get out of the truck to operate that equipment, but had they done the extra step that they were required to do and inspected the area, they would have found Tyrah,” Rivas told Louisville Public Media. The truck involved in the incident was impounded by police as part of the ongoing investigation. Rivas is preparing to file the lawsuit within the next few weeks, seeking both compensation and additional information about the circumstances surrounding Adams’ death.
The case has highlighted concerns about safety protocols during city waste collection operations and the treatment of Louisville’s homeless population. “Knowing that they did not help her at all – that’s where most of my anger comes from,” Akers said. “Knowing what he had did and what he saw, he didn’t even have the decency to just help.” The family hopes their legal action will not only provide answers about what happened to Adams but also prevent similar tragedies. The Louisville Metro Police investigation remains ongoing, with no charges filed against the workers involved. The family awaits access to all evidence collected by authorities as they prepare for litigation.
