At the Teamsters Local 89 union hall, 13 white crosses stood in the parking lot as dozens of people lit candles and prayed Thursday evening.
Each represented a person who lost their life in the UPS cargo plane crash earlier this week. Mayor Craig Greenberg announced the 13th victim at the vigil.
Many of the attendees appeared to be UPS employees — the largest workplace in Louisville.
Saundra Thrasher, a wife of a UPS pilot, was among the mourners. She said she was leaving work at the time of the crash and rushed back to the airport, hoping the crew would still be alive. Tragically, all of them perished.
The crew’s names were announced alongside a moment of silence: Cap. Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt and International Relief Officer Captain Dana Diamond.
There are at least 10 more dead from the crash who haven’t been identified, and several more people weren’t accounted for as of Thursday night. First responders are still searching through a half-mile debris field for those people.
At the vigil, Greenberg said he was overwhelmed as he surveyed the site with Congressman Morgan McGarvey and Gov. Andy Beshear on Wednesday.
“...when we saw the firefighters walking towards bodies that were still on the ground with the stretchers, it was too painful for me to watch,” he said. “That was the moment that I had to turn away.”
The vigil underscored the personal impact many in Louisville are feeling after the shocking plane crash Tuesday afternoon.
Speaking to the mourners, Rep. McGarvey said everyone in town knows someone who works at UPS and had a moment of panic and grief including his young daughter.
“As I was brushing the teeth of my first grade daughter...she said, ‘Daddy my friend’s dad works for UPS. Is he okay?,’ he said. “That’s the fear we all felt.”
UPS executive vice president Nando Cesarone also extended sympathies to those impacted by the crash in a statement released Thursday afternoon.
“Our hearts go out to every UPSer who has been impacted and all in our Louisville community – supporting you and ensuring you receive the care and resources you need is our priority,” Cesarone said.
A team of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are still investigating the crash, but it will take time for them to come to any conclusions about the cause.
