62-YO Hotel Guest Hit and Killed by Forklift Repairing Roof Damaged by Hurricane | “A Tragic Accident”

The forklift operator "did not see the pedestrian" while carrying "a load of materials" through the parking lot when he ran over her, as per reports.

Cover Image Source: Youtube | WESH 2 News

By Priyanjali Narayan

February 17, 2023

Posted February 17, 2023

A woman in her 60s, Susan Brock, died on February 13 after she was hit by a forklift at an oceanfront hotel. Daytona Beach Shores public safety director Michael Fowler said the 62-year-old victim was hit and killed by the heavy machinery while walking through the parking lot of the Beach Haven Inn, according to the Associated Press. “This was a tragic accident, and we will conduct a full investigation to determine what led to it,” Fowler added.

Florida grandmother run over and killed by forklift at beachfront hotel https://t.co/kCXzpdmVBI pic.twitter.com/QdiQiSMjYV
— New York Post (@nypost) February 16, 2023

The forklift operator "did not see the pedestrian" while carrying "a load of materials" through the parking lot when he ran over her, an NBC affiliate WESH reported. Located next to the Atlantic Ocean, the hotel had sustained significant damage when Hurricane Ian battered Florida in September 2022, according to AP. Thus the forklift driver was shifting materials from a truck to the beachfront building, which needed repairs due to damage from Hurricane Ian. The forklift had been transporting new roofing material when its driver ran down the woman, according to Washington Examiner.

Forklift driver hits and kills woman while repairing hurricane damage, Florida cops say https://t.co/zyAATznP3U
— The Modesto Bee (@modbee) February 15, 2023

"The driver has told us that he was looking between the two loads," Fowler said, according to WESH. "There was a small space between the two loads. That he was looking there and never saw the pedestrian." Someone nearby told the forklift operator to stop, at which time "he backed up and most likely ran over her again," Fowler said. The victim was immediately taken to Halifax Health Medical Center, where she died of the injuries sustained in the incident, according to WESH.

A guest at an oceanfront hotel in Florida has died after being run over by a forklift working on storm repairs, authorities said. https://t.co/Fo6Ltn3WYO
— ABC Action News (@abcactionnews) February 15, 2023

The woman was staying at the same hotel, where she was involved in the forklift accident, according to NBC affiliate, WFLA. Her death is being investigated as a construction or industrial accident. Neighbors were stunned by what happened on February 13. One told WESH that the victim had plans of marrying her fiancé, whom she had been with for over 20 years, sometime next month. Another neighbor described the woman as a "generous person." The neighbor said, "Just shocking, I was at work, someone came to my job and I came home. But she was one of them who gave the shirt off her back. Help her, never a bad word for anybody," as per WESH's report.

The forklift that hit the woman was moving roofing material for the storm repairs but the driver reportedly did not see the woman and ran her over,. https://t.co/MK4a5TqycN
— KRMGtulsa (@KRMGtulsa) February 15, 2023

Brock’s grandson, Shawn Brock, told the news outlet that he still has questions about the accident that have remained unanswered. “How did she not move out of the way of it? Did she not hear it? Did she try to move out of the way?” he said, per NY POST.