A grandfather with dementia wandered onto a Texas freeway and was fatally struck by multiple vehicles after Spirit Airlines allegedly failed to provide promised assistance, according to a federal lawsuit.
Marcos Humberto Vindel Osorio, 75, disappeared after arriving at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on June 8, 2024, aboard a Spirit flight from Honduras.
Hours later, his body was found along the Eastex Freeway several miles from the airport after he was allegedly hit by multiple vehicles.
Now, Osorio’s devastated family is suing the airline, claiming staff had been warned ahead of time that the elderly passenger suffered from dementia and would need help navigating the airport after landing.
According to the complaint, relatives informed Spirit employees at check-in that Osorio’s ‘mild dementia’ became worse in stressful and unfamiliar environments.
The lawsuit states that family members specifically requested assistance escorting Osorio off the plane and through Houston’s airport terminal, where relatives were waiting to meet him.
‘Spirit’s agent confirmed that assistance would be provided,’ the complaint alleges.
But the family claims the airline failed to help the 'unaccompanied and disoriented' grandfather after the flight landed shortly before 7pm local time.
Marcos Humberto Vindel Osorio, 75, pictured in the wheel chair, allegedly wandered away from Houston’s airport alone after landing on a Spirit Airlines flight
Osorio’s family claims Spirit airline promised assistance because the grandfather suffered from dementia
‘Spirit failed to provide any such assistance,’ the lawsuit states, alleging Osorio moved through the airport alone without supervision or an escort.
Osorio’s daughter, Yisell, and other relatives were waiting at a pre-arranged meeting point inside the airport, according to the complaint.
When the grandfather never appeared, the family became alarmed and began searching for him.
A Customs and Border Protection officer later informed relatives that Osorio had already cleared customs by himself at approximately 7.43pm, the lawsuit alleges.
Family members then contacted police as search efforts intensified around the airport.
More than three hours later, Osorio’s body was discovered on nearby US Route 59, also known as the Eastex Freeway.
The complaint alleges the grandfather became disoriented and walked miles away from the airport before he was fatally struck by multiple vehicles.
Attorney Russ Brudner, who is representing the family, described the tragedy as ‘every family’s nightmare.’
The grandfather was later found dead along the Eastex Freeway after allegedly being struck by multiple vehicles
Spirit Airlines recently shut down operations after failing to secure a $500 million bailout
‘This family has suffered an unimaginable loss,’ Brudner told The Independent.
‘They trusted an airline to keep their father safe for the last few miles of his journey home. That trust was broken in the most devastating way possible.’
The lawsuit argues Spirit violated obligations under the federal Air Carrier Access Act, which requires airlines to provide assistance to passengers with disabilities, including cognitive impairments such as dementia.
The family is seeking wrongful death damages, compensation for mental anguish, funeral expenses and loss of companionship.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Spirit Airlines, which declined to comment.
The lawsuit comes after the budget carrier abruptly shut down operations on May 2, 2026, following a failed attempt to secure a $500 million bailout.
The airline canceled all flights immediately and announced an ‘orderly wind-down,’ leaving thousands of travelers stranded and marking the first major US airline closure in 25 years.