Post by shavonfan on Dec 10, 2005 17:24:48 GMT -5
THE MIDWAY RUNWAY ACCIDENT
A father's horror: He saw jet coming
Indiana family mourns 6-year-old killed in crash
By Carlos Sadovi, Ofelia Casillas and William Presecky, Tribune staff reporters. Tribune staff reporters David Heinzmann and Gerry Doyle contributed to this report
Published December 10, 2005
Joshua Woods and his brothers were in the back seat of the family's new car, eating chicken strips on the way to their grandmother's house.
While heavy snow swirled outside, Joshua, 6, broke into a rock-and-roll chorus of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town."
Relatives and a lawyer say that as the Woodses approached Midway Airport Thursday evening and heard the roar of jet engines, the boys grew even more excited. They hoped to see a plane take off overhead.
Leroy Woods, the boys' father, had intended to drive up Cicero Avenue, but the snowstorm had snarled traffic so badly that he steered over to Central Avenue, hoping it would move faster. It didn't.
As traffic crawled and he listened to the jets, he thought one sounded too loud, and kept getting louder. He looked out a window and straight into the engine of a 737.
Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 had skidded through the end of its runway and crashed through a steel wall. It crushed the Woodses' car.
Joshua died in the crash, and his parents and two of his brothers were injured. Another brother was not in the car.
Leroy Woods remained hospitalized late Friday.
Battered and distraught, the Indiana family grieved in private Friday.
"As you can imagine, the loss of your little child is devastating, especially in an accident so bizarre," said attorney Ronald Stearney Jr., who with his father is representing the family.
After the plane hit the car, Leroy Woods immediately tried to save his boys, said Ronald Stearney Sr.
He was yelling for Joshua, and shouting, "I can't see him," Stearney Sr. said Friday.
Woods then climbed out through the shattered driver's side window. As the jet engine continued to roar overhead, Woods reached through the rear window and grabbed 4-year-old Jake and pulled him free, the lawyer said.
Joshua and Matt, 1, had to be extricated with machinery, Stearney Sr. said.
In all, at least 10 people were injured in the crash, including minor injuries to three of the 98 passengers on the airplane.
A second car carrying four people appeared to have run into the plane as it skidded into the street, fire officials said. Those four were taken to hospitals, but their injuries did not appear to be serious, Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.
Relatives and the lawyers described the Woodses as a family that never had it easy but were looking forward to better times and a bright Christmas.
Joshua was a kindergartner at Winfield Elementary School, about a mile outside Leroy, a tiny town in northwest Indiana where the family moved this year. School officials were heartbroken about the news of the sweet-faced boy's death.
Lisa Woods called Joshua's school Friday morning to tell the principal about her son.
"It wasn't a long conversation," Principal Patricia Carnahan said. "It wasn't a detailed conversation. It was just a sharing of tears and hugs through the phone. And letting her know how hurt we were along with her."
** Part 1 of 2 **
A father's horror: He saw jet coming
Indiana family mourns 6-year-old killed in crash
By Carlos Sadovi, Ofelia Casillas and William Presecky, Tribune staff reporters. Tribune staff reporters David Heinzmann and Gerry Doyle contributed to this report
Published December 10, 2005
Joshua Woods and his brothers were in the back seat of the family's new car, eating chicken strips on the way to their grandmother's house.
While heavy snow swirled outside, Joshua, 6, broke into a rock-and-roll chorus of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town."
Relatives and a lawyer say that as the Woodses approached Midway Airport Thursday evening and heard the roar of jet engines, the boys grew even more excited. They hoped to see a plane take off overhead.
Leroy Woods, the boys' father, had intended to drive up Cicero Avenue, but the snowstorm had snarled traffic so badly that he steered over to Central Avenue, hoping it would move faster. It didn't.
As traffic crawled and he listened to the jets, he thought one sounded too loud, and kept getting louder. He looked out a window and straight into the engine of a 737.
Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 had skidded through the end of its runway and crashed through a steel wall. It crushed the Woodses' car.
Joshua died in the crash, and his parents and two of his brothers were injured. Another brother was not in the car.
Leroy Woods remained hospitalized late Friday.
Battered and distraught, the Indiana family grieved in private Friday.
"As you can imagine, the loss of your little child is devastating, especially in an accident so bizarre," said attorney Ronald Stearney Jr., who with his father is representing the family.
After the plane hit the car, Leroy Woods immediately tried to save his boys, said Ronald Stearney Sr.
He was yelling for Joshua, and shouting, "I can't see him," Stearney Sr. said Friday.
Woods then climbed out through the shattered driver's side window. As the jet engine continued to roar overhead, Woods reached through the rear window and grabbed 4-year-old Jake and pulled him free, the lawyer said.
Joshua and Matt, 1, had to be extricated with machinery, Stearney Sr. said.
In all, at least 10 people were injured in the crash, including minor injuries to three of the 98 passengers on the airplane.
A second car carrying four people appeared to have run into the plane as it skidded into the street, fire officials said. Those four were taken to hospitals, but their injuries did not appear to be serious, Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.
Relatives and the lawyers described the Woodses as a family that never had it easy but were looking forward to better times and a bright Christmas.
Joshua was a kindergartner at Winfield Elementary School, about a mile outside Leroy, a tiny town in northwest Indiana where the family moved this year. School officials were heartbroken about the news of the sweet-faced boy's death.
Lisa Woods called Joshua's school Friday morning to tell the principal about her son.
"It wasn't a long conversation," Principal Patricia Carnahan said. "It wasn't a detailed conversation. It was just a sharing of tears and hugs through the phone. And letting her know how hurt we were along with her."
** Part 1 of 2 **
