Cuban immigrant dies from burns weeks after UPS crash in Louisville, raising death toll to 15

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A Cuban immigrant who had built a new life working at a Louisville scrapyard died on Christmas Day from severe burns suffered in last month’s UPS cargo plane crash, raising the death toll to 15, officials said.

Alain Rodriguez Colina, 50, was working at Grade A Auto Parts when the plane, fully loaded with fuel for a flight to Hawaii, plowed into businesses as it was taking off from the airport. It exploded into a massive fireball killing 15 people, including Colina.

NTSB Preliminary report | Victims identified | What's next

"He was fortunate to be able to run out the side of the building, but he was unfortunate that 50% of his body was burned, and he was rushed to the hospital," said Grade A Auto Parts CEO Sean Garber. "He has been in a medically-induced coma since day one."

Colina became the fourth Grade A employee killed in the crash. Eight customers in the business and three pilots on the plane were also killed.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators believe the plane’s left engine detached during takeoff on Nov. 4, and cracks were later found where the engine connected to the wing. Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport is home the largest UPS package delivery hub.

Garber said Colina had worked for the company since 2023, moving up rapidly to the position of metal buyer. He said Colina embraced the company’s culture and life in Louisville and even became a University of Kentucky fan. His mother and siblings lived in the area, and he had a daughter in Cuba, he said.

More than a dozen wreaths with white ribbons with names of the victims were hung on a temporary fence near the crash site and where Grade A once stood. Garber said they thought Colina would pull through, but they will add another wreath.

For Garber, Colina's passing feels different — like another gut punch pulling them back to ground zero.

After surviving so many weeks, it seemed like he was starting to heal, and Garber said concern was mixed with optimism. But on Thursday, Colina took a turn for the worse.

"We've gone through a range of emotions and we were hoping that this range wasn't going to come back, a range of shock, a range of grief, a range of anger," Garber said.

He was a good man, Garber explained, with a big heart who cared about the organization, customers and his family.

“He believed in the opportunity he got in the United States and really made the most of it,” Garber said. “He should still be with us.”

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced Colina's death on social media Christmas night. He said it wasn't the call he was expecting, and he said the crash has devastated the city.

"The way we move forward is by doing what we always have and what I've
think we've shown since the crash, which is supporting one another," Greenberg said.

Garber said this is a tragedy that will be remembered for years to come.

"How we move forward is we don't forget these people, and we continue to honor them by not forgetting them," he said.

The identifies of the 15 victims:

Capt. Dana Diamond, 62
Capt. Richard Wartenberg, 57
First Officer Lee Truitt, 45
Angela Anderson, 45
Carlos Fernandez, 52
Louisnes Fedon, 47
Kimberly Asa, 3 (granddaughter of Louisnes Fedon)
Trinadette "Trina" Chavez, 37
Tony Crain, 65
John Loucks, 52
John Spray Jr., 45
Matthew Sweets, 37
Ella Petty Whorton, 31
Megan Washburn, 35
Alain Rodriguez Colina, 50

Wrongful death lawsuits

Earlier this month, a lawyer filed two wrongful death lawsuits against UPS, alleging the company kept flying older aircrafts without increasing maintenance beyond what's regularly scheduled. The lawsuit also names General Electric, which made the plane’s engine.

Both UPS and GE have said they don’t comment on pending lawsuits, but safety remains their top priority as they assist in the federal investigation. That litigation does not include Colina.

The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all MD-11s, which had exclusively been used for hauling cargo for more than a decade.

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