Airport Hero: Employee Tackles Florida Man After Tarmac Car Rampage
A Tampa man pulled off a crazy stunt at Orlando International Airport, and it’s the kind of nutty you don’t see every day. According to WKMG, Ryan Welch, 37, thought it was a good idea to smash his car through the airport fence and take a joyride on the tarmac. This guy went full GTA, driving around runways and taxiways like it was a Rockstar video game.
The cops got a call around 11:10 a.m. about a maniac in a car tearing through Terminal C. Welch parked near gate 237 and got out, probably thinking he was a Florida man from GTA 6. But his Rockstar moment ended quickly. An airport worker, or superhero, as I would like to call him, tackled this dude near the gate and held him down until the police showed up.
Passengers couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It’s not every day you see someone using their car as a battering ram to get onto the runway. It’s hard to tell nowadays if it’s a terrorist act, or just another airport meltdown. Unfortunately, that’s the world we live in now.
Airport Rampage:
One thing is for sure, you have to give some props to the employee who took this looney down. I think that guy deserved a medal, or at least a nice pay raise. I’m sure that wasn’t in his job description.
The people in charge at the airport wanted Welch charged for causing at least $3,000 in damage. Welch is facing a slew of charges, including trespassing, burglary, and criminal mischief. He’s locked up in the Orange County Jail on a $20,000 bond and didn’t even bother to show up for his court date on Friday.
So, what do we take away from this? Sometimes, life is stranger than fiction. One minute you’re waiting for your flight, the next you’re watching a guy go on a tarmac joyride. Great job to the airport worker who played the superhero role, but let’s hope Welch gets the help he needs, and stays far away from any airport.
