LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Eleven of the 14 lives lost in the Nov. 4 UPS plane crash were part of the Grade A Auto Parts family — employees and longtime customers who were inside the business when an aircraft crashed into the building at 5:14 p.m.
It was past closing time at Grade A Auto Parts when the plane went down. Many employees were still inside, and customers were lingering as they often did.
“Anyone there typically past 5 is someone that comes in a lot,” Sean Garber, owner and CEO of Grade A Auto Parts, said.
Then, in a single moment, everything changed.
“She called me at 5:14 and thought there was an earthquake,” he said.
The UPS aircraft hit the auto parts building directly.
“Our employees came to work that morning with the expectation of leaving,” Garber said. "But that day, 8 customers and 3 employees never did."
Among the employees killed was John “John Boy” Loucks, a heavy equipment operator who Garber said took a chance on the company “before they could even afford heavy equipment.”
Sean Garber, owner and CEO of Grade A Auto Parts and Recycling, identified two of three employees that were missing after a UPS plane crashed into the business just outside Louisville's airport on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. Garber identified them as John Loucks, 52, who was a heavy equipment operator and Megan Washburn, 35, who was a scrap metal buyer and customer experience agent. (Photos provided by Garber)
Trina Chavez, another employee, was remembered as someone who always took care of customers.
“(She) loved her family, would do anything for them,” Garber said.
Garber described Megan Washburn as incredibly ambitious.
"She had a quest to learn, but she also had a quest to really take care of her family," Garber said.
Eight customers were also killed — many of them regulars, including Lou Fedon, who cherished the joy of his grandchildren. He was at Grade A with his granddaughter, Kimberly Asa, when the crash occurred.
“Lou and his granddaughter, they've been coming for years,” Garber said.
Lou Fedon and his 3-year-old granddaughter, Kimberly Asa, were among three Haitians killed on the ground when UPS Flight 2976 crashed into the Grade A Auto Parts lot on Nov. 4, 2025.
Other customers killed included Tony Crain, who loved stock car racing and was known for helping underdogs; John Spray Jr., a hard worker who loved making people smile; Matthew Sweets, an electrician remembered for his kindness and his two young children; Ella Petty Whorton, who had a way of making others feel seen; Angela Anderson, a mother described as a force of nature; and Carlos Fernandez.
Garber said the past few weeks have been filled with painful goodbyes.
“We went to 3 funerals yesterday,” he said. “You see all the videos of their lives together and everybody has their own world, and it's so tragic those worlds were taken away from them in such a senseless way.”
He said community support has helped give the company strength.
“The outpouring of support and love from people we don't even know, that gives us the strength to move forward and to do what we are supposed to do," Garber said.
Garber believes the crash was caused by human negligence and incompetence and is urging UPS to step in for the families.
“This was caused by human negligence, incompetence and because of that, we've lost 14 people,” he said.
Returning to the site, Garber said the weight of the tragedy is enormous.
“I've gotten close to see it, 14 people died there, it's hollow ground for a lot of people.”
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