That time he got run over by a luggage rack

Randy Tarbell Jr. has learned to live with disc damage in his back and nerve damage in his spine.

“Back in 1994 when I was living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I was run over by a luggage rack on the airport tarmac.

“I was a luggage handler and airplane guide at the time. It was a rainy day and someone was driving along in a tug pulling a luggage rack. It hit a bump and the luggage rack came free, running me over with the first set of wheels and dragging me 150 feet down the tarmac with the second set of wheels.

“They said the only reason I survived was because it had been raining and I had my rain slicks on.”

He sustained serious back injuries that still plague him today. Because of that experience, he’s studying safety management and industrial hygiene in hopes of landing a job where he can help ensure a safe work environment.

“My goal is that people get to go home in the same condition they went to work in, just a little more tired.”

— Randy Tarbell Jr.