Family of woman who died after being picked up by garbage truck seeking answers
By DeAndria Turner
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LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — A growing memorial now marks the spot where 35-year-old Tyrah Adams spent much of her time.
Adams died last week after an encounter with a city garbage truck, an incident city leaders have called a tragic accident. Her family, however, says it should never have happened.
Adams’ sister, Sandra Akers, said the loss is overwhelming.
“She was just the sister I looked up to the sister I needed for my comfort,” Akers said. “She’s very loved.”
Akers said no family is ever prepared for loss, but the circumstances surrounding her sister’s death made it even harder to bear.
“For it to be as extensive as it was, you were not prepared for that,” she said.
According to the family and their attorney, Adams was picked up last Thursday by the mechanical arms of a city garbage truck during a routine pick up, equipment typically used to lift large debris.
“We do have witnesses that confirm that she was picked up,” the attorney said. “They dropped her somewhere here. We don’t know the exact location, but when they dropped her, she got up and walked all the way up here to the front of the store.”
A clerk at the store called 911. Adams was taken to the hospital, where she later died.
Adams had lived in Louisville for about three years. Those years included periods of addiction and homelessness, her family said, but also moments of care and community.
“We had people that checked on her every single day, every single night,” Akers said. “There wasn’t a day that went by that they didn’t check on her.”
On Tuesday, the mayor described the incident as a tragic accident.
But Adams’ family and their attorney argue it was preventable.
“I think it was negligent, maybe even reckless,” the attorney said. “No one should be forced to go through something like that. A simple walk-around, checking what’s being picked up, could have prevented this.”
Just weeks before her death, Adams had been talking with family about getting help.
“My mom really thought she was serious this time,” Akers said. “She had tried three times before, but this felt different.”
Akers said the family never stopped trying to support Adams, even during periods when communication was limited.
“Family was there. Family was trying, in the best way that we could,” she said. “All we could do was love her in the stages she was in and keep hope.”
Now, the family says that hope is focused on accountability.
“I will not stop until I get answers,” Akers said.
As the memorial continues to grow, her family says it stands as a reminder of a life lost, and a family still searching for why.
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