Louisville Metro Government has fired two Department of Public Works employees involved in the February death of Tyrah Adams, a 35-year-old homeless woman who was struck by a hydraulic garbage truck claw, the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting reported Thursday.

The two workers — one crew member and their supervisor — received termination notices this week, according to records obtained by Louisville Public Media through the Kentucky Open Records Act. One crew member also involved in the incident had already retired shortly after the Feb. 12 accident and would have been fired had they remained employed, according to the termination findings.

On Feb. 12, the two-person crew was operating a dump truck with a hydraulic claw during a routine alley cleanup near Cedar and 26th Streets when they picked up debris concealing Adams, who was sleeping under a blanket. After being dropped from the claw, Adams went into a nearby convenience store where bystanders called 911. She was transported to a hospital but died from her injuries.

The city found that the employees violated six separate policies, including those related to "general standards of safety and health" and treating the public with respect. The supervisor was also found to have violated accident and investigation procedures that require thorough investigation of all accidents.

Mayor Craig Greenberg acknowledged that "the employees involved in this incident made decisions after the accident that aren't consistent with our policies or procedures." According to police investigators, none of the employees called 911 or checked on Adams after realizing someone had been struck.

The Jefferson County Attorney's Office announced in August that it would not pursue criminal charges against the workers, saying there was insufficient evidence to win a conviction in court.

Despite the lack of criminal charges, Adams' family filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging gross negligence and reckless conduct. The suit claims the workers knew or should have known that unhoused people congregated in the area and that they failed to inspect the debris pile before operating the machinery.

In response to the incident, Louisville Metro has implemented policy changes including activating an internal review committee, changing solid waste operation protocols, providing additional emergency response training and hiring a consultant to conduct a comprehensive review of Solid Waste Management Services operations.