The family says the 75-year-old was left alone after an international flight to Houston.
HOUSTON — The family of a 75-year-old man with dementia has sued Spirit Airlines, alleging the carrier failed to provide promised assistance before he wandered out of a Houston airport and was killed by vehicles.
The lawsuit, filed April 22 in federal court in Houston, centers on the death of Marcos Humberto Vindel Osorio after he arrived from Honduras on June 8, 2024. His relatives say they warned Spirit at check-in that he needed help getting off the plane and through the airport. Spirit has declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Osorio lived in Honduras and was traveling alone to visit family in the Houston area, according to the complaint. A relative checked him in for Spirit Airlines Flight 1630 at Palmerola International Airport in Comayagua, Honduras, and told an airline agent that Osorio had mild dementia that worsened with stress. The lawsuit says the family asked that he be helped off the plane and guided through George Bush Intercontinental Airport after landing. “Spirit’s agent confirmed that assistance would be provided,” the complaint says. The family alleges no such help was waiting when the flight reached Houston.
The plane landed at 6:49 p.m., according to the lawsuit. Osorio then allegedly left the aircraft and moved through the international terminal without supervision, assistance or an escort. His daughter, Yisell Jeanine Osorio Mejia, and other relatives and friends were waiting at a planned meeting place outside the secure area, but he did not arrive. The family says a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent later told them Osorio had been processed and cleared for entry at 7:43 p.m. and was alone. Relatives then contacted police and began searching for him.
More than three hours later, Osorio was found dead along U.S. Route 59, also known as the Eastex Freeway. The lawsuit says he had walked several miles from the airport and was struck by multiple vehicles. The complaint describes the distance as roughly a two-hour walk for a disoriented older man on foot. His family alleges Spirit’s failure to provide assistance was the direct cause of his death because it allowed him to leave a major international airport alone at night while confused and vulnerable.
The lawsuit names Spirit Airlines LLC and Spirit Airlines Inc. as defendants and seeks damages for wrongful death, survival claims, mental anguish, loss of companionship and support, and funeral and burial expenses. The plaintiffs include Yisell Jeanine Osorio Mejia, Hernan Osorio, Wendy Osorio, Jordy Jamil Osorio Garcia, Irma Elena Garcia and Denia Perez. The case is listed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas as an airplane-related personal injury lawsuit. The family has requested a jury trial.
The complaint also cites the Montreal Convention, an international treaty that covers airline liability in international travel. The family argues Osorio’s death is tied to the process of disembarking because Spirit allegedly accepted responsibility for deboarding and airport assistance but did not provide it. The lawsuit says that, even if the treaty does not apply, the airline should face claims for negligence, negligent undertaking and gross negligence. No judge has ruled on those claims, and the allegations remain unproven in court.
Federal aviation disability rules provide the backdrop for the case. The Air Carrier Access Act bars disability discrimination in air travel, and U.S. Transportation Department guidance says airlines must assist passengers with disabilities as they move through key parts of the airport, including from an arriving aircraft to baggage claim, the terminal entrance or a vehicle pickup area. The lawsuit says Osorio’s family relied on that kind of assistance after specifically telling Spirit about his condition at the departure airport.
The filing came shortly before Spirit began winding down its operations. The airline announced May 2, 2026, that it had started an orderly shutdown, canceled all flights and no longer had customer service available for guests. That timing could affect how the lawsuit moves forward, because claims against the airline may have to be handled through restructuring or claims procedures tied to the shutdown. The court docket showed the complaint and summons request filed April 22, with an initial pretrial conference scheduled for July 17.
Attorney Russ Brudner, who represents Osorio’s family, said the relatives trusted the airline to keep Osorio safe during the final part of his trip. “This family has suffered an unimaginable loss,” Brudner said. “They trusted an airline to keep their father safe for the last few miles of his journey home.” The complaint includes an image of Osorio at the Honduras airport in a wheelchair before boarding, a detail the family says shows assistance was part of the trip from the start.
The case now stands as a pending federal lawsuit with no ruling on liability. The next scheduled court milestone is the July 17 pretrial conference, where the parties may address scheduling, claims and how the case proceeds after Spirit’s shutdown.
Author note: Last updated May 9, 2026.