Woman crashes truck into Tampa Airport aquarium destroying public art exhibit

November 10, 7:06 PMSan Diego Airport ExaminerJoel Siegfried

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A 1,500 gallon tropical fish aquarium and all its contents outside the American Airlines baggage claim area at Tampa International Airport (TPA) was destroyed Monday night by a woman driving a pickup truck. Both the woman and her 6-year-old son, who was cradled in her lap, escaped serious injury. The same could not be said for the fish.

The twelve foot long tank, named El Movimiento del Mar, was part of a public art collection which had cost the airport $200,000 when it was unveiled in 1999. About 90% of the 30 to 40 Indo-Pacific saltwater fish in the tank were killed.

The Associated Press reported that the woman, Yamile Campuzano-Martine, age 36, who had lost control of the truck, was waiting to pick up a relative. She was cited for careless driving, having a child in the vehicle without a restraint, and failing to provide a driver's license. There was also a 17-year-old in the vehicle who was not injured.

CAPTION: (ABOVE LEFT) Tropical fish painting (Image credit - Google Images)

A slide show follows this article containing images of tropical fish.

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CAPTION: ((ABOVE RIGHT TOP) Workers inspect damaged aquarium (Photo credit - AP)

CAPTION: ((ABOVE RIGHT BOTTOM) Tropical fish (Photo credit - Google Images)

Tire marks show the 1994 red Ford Ranger's path over the curb and to the tank, barely missing a concrete pole on the left and the airport's tiled wall on the right. It is not clear what caused the crash, but an airport spokesperson stated that the truck had been parked there for some time.

The tank's thick, clear plastic front was intact, but damage to the pipes underneath caused water to drain out to the sidewalk, road and carpet inside the building. Airport employees gathered up the saltwater fish and put them in a bucket until Florida Aquarium staffers arrived. Aquarium employees are keeping vigil over the four or five fish still alive. Al Illustrato, senior director of airport maintenance, commented sadly, "They're just so fragile." Officials from the Florida Aquarium inspected the dry aquarium and looked for surviving hermit crabs.

A Tampa International Airport spokesperson, Brenda Geohagan, reported that airport officials are determining how much it will cost to fix it and replace the animals. Tom Wagner, an aquarium spokesman, said the fish cost about $50 to $500 each, depending on size and species. He added that  the airport has an open-ended contract with the aquarium to care for the tanks, and it's not yet known if they'll replace the fish with the same kinds or bring in new species.

According to Wagner, "Our biologists were visibly upset over this. It's a lot of fish, and they've spent the last three to four years raising them from juveniles. They certainly had a number of years left with them."

CAPTION: (ABOVE LEFT) Artist Christie Beniston standing in front of her Time Interwoven installation at San Diego International Airport (Photo credit - Joel Siegfried)

San Diego International Airport spends about $6 million on public art, in a capital acquisitions budget over a 5 to 7 year time period, according to Constance Y. White, Art Program Manager. Currently about 25 works of art make up the airport's permanent collection, but no fish or other live animals are in their holdings. Ms. White stated that there are no plans at present to add an aquarium. Maintenance issues were cited.

Sea World San Diego has multiple aquariums, and is within three miles of the airport. The Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla also has an extensive collection of tropical fish. Both facilities are major area tourist attractions, as well as educational resources.

CAPTION: ((ABOVE RIGHT) Constance Y. White, Art Program Manager at San Diego International Airport (Photo credit - Joel Siegfried)

Please let us know if you've ever had any accidents occur while caring for your home aquarium.

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