Latest info from todays Orlando paper(2-13)..............
Float that killed worker was heavy as SUV but very slow.....
The 3-ton Disney float rolled over Javier Cruz. No policy changes are planned.
By Susan Jacobson and Sean Mussenden | Sentinel Staff Writers
Posted February 13, 2004
The section of a parade float that struck and killed a costumed Walt Disney World worker weighed 6,000 pounds -- slightly more than a large sport-utility vehicle -- but was moving no faster than a person can walk, a park spokeswoman said Thursday.
Javier Cruz was walking between the second and third parts of a moving three-section float and became "entangled with" the third segment, causing him to lose his balance, Orange County sheriff's records show. The float rolled over Cruz, pinning him beneath the frame.
Disney had no immediate plans to change any policies in the aftermath of the accident, which happened about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, spokeswoman Rena Langley said. Cruz, 38, dressed as Pluto, was moving toward a gate leading to a public area near Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom
Disney workers used a forklift to lift the "Princess" float off of Cruz's body, said Capt. Bernie Presha, a sheriff's spokesman.
The death apparently was accidental, but an investigation is continuing, Orange County sheriff's spokesman Cpl. Carlos Torres said. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration and Disney are conducting their own inquiries.
Donna-Lynne Dalton, business agent for the union that represents costumed workers, sat in on OSHA interviews with witnesses.
"It appeared the float was where it was supposed to be," said Dalton of Teamsters Local 385. "The driver and coordinators were in no way at fault. They were following proper procedure."
The 3 p.m. "Share a Dream Come True" parade went on as scheduled Thursday, although the float that hit Cruz was removed for examination by investigators and replaced with a substitute castle-theme float, Langley said. The parade included another worker dressed as Pluto.
Some employees who were off Thursday volunteered to come in anyway and show their support for Cruz by performing in the parade, Langley said.
Backstage, Disney employees wore small black ribbons backed with a yellow square in memory of Cruz. Most of the spectators who lined up for Thursday's parade seemed unaware of the death, although two off-duty workers wept and one wore a ribbon as they watched. The company provided grief counseling for employees, Langley said.
"Disney is a really close-knit family, so it's been a very sad day," said one worker, who did not want to be identified for fear of being fired. "But you know, it's Disney -- the show must go on, right?"
Cruz's family was making funeral arrangements Thursday for the father of two. His sister, Wanda Marin, 36, said the family is angry and thinks Disney should have done more to protect her brother. Initially, a witness told Marin that Cruz tripped. But Thursday she said others told her that wasn't true. The float was near Cruz before someone yelled, "Look out, the float is behind you!" Marin said.
"Someone should have pulled him out of the way," she said.
Marin complained that the Pluto costume didn't allow Cruz to see on either side of him without turning his body. Orlando lawyer John Morgan, who played Pluto at Disney in the 1970s when he was in high school and college, agreed.
"You could see perfectly straight ahead," said Morgan, who drove a Betsy Ross float during the U.S. bicentennial celebration at Disney. "You have zero peripheral vision. I bet he got hit from the side."
Disney provides many hours of training in how to maneuver in costumes, and extensive rehearsals are part of every show and parade, Langley said. She said she couldn't provide details about the accident.
"Out of respect for his family and because the investigation is ongoing, I can't give specifics of where he was or what he was doing," Langley said. "We understand that this is a difficult time for them, and our hearts go out to the family."
Cruz had been employed at Disney since 1995, first as a custodian.
Disney sent food, is paying for the funeral and bought airplane tickets for some of Cruz's family members to attend.
"Free food is nice," she said. "It does not bring my brother back."
