Authorities are currently investigating a tragic incident that took place on Friday in Coral Gables, resulting in the death of a FedEx driver. The crash occurred in the 6500 block of Riviera Drive.
Footage from the scene showed the driver’s body covered by a yellow tarp beside the FedEx van, while a nearby work van appeared to be damaged.
Coral Gables Police confirmed that the driver was killed on-site after colliding with a parked landscaping truck.
Surveillance video revealed the FedEx truck swerving on what appeared to be the wrong side of the road. An oncoming car can be seen in the footage, veering to avoid a collision with the truck before the truck strikes the back of the parked landscaping van in a driveway.
The video then captures the bumper of the FedEx truck flying into the grass on the opposite side of the driveway where the landscaping van was located, before the truck crashes into a tree.
Witnesses reported that the driver, identified as 22-year-old Manuel Gayton, was ejected from the truck prior to it rolling over him.
Neighbor Noreen Sablotsky rushed to the scene and described the desperate efforts to save the driver’s life.
“We walked down and they were trying to jack up the FedEx car and get the driver,” she recounted.
Sablotsky mentioned that she had seen the driver make a stop in front of her house before the crash occurred. The cause of the incident remains uncertain, and Sablotsky expressed sympathy for the driver’s family, stating, “I have no idea whether there was a medical emergency that happened… The family must be devastated.”
The owners of the landscaping truck stated that their employees rushed to aid the driver and offered their condolences to the driver’s family.
Coral Gables Police are investigating the possibility of the driver experiencing a medical episode prior to the crash.
In a statement, FedEx expressed their deepest condolences to the family and friends of the individual involved and emphasized that safety is their top priority. They are fully cooperating with the authorities during the investigation.