Duty of Care

On Friday, September 4, 2026, Ceaira Cook, 34, of Akron, a cashier in the hospital kitchen at Summa Barberton Citizens Hospital in Barberton, Ohio, was struck by a truck backing up in a docking area as she was leaving her job around 3:05 p.m., according to the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office as reported by Cleveland 19 News (WOIO).

She was taken to the hospital’s Emergency Department and died from her injuries at 3:57 p.m. Summa Health said a person walking on the Barberton Campus was struck by a vehicle and died, and that an investigation was underway. The hospital confirmed the truck was not owned by Summa Health.

Barberton Police and the Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating. Summa said it is conducting its own review. News coverage has not established whether a backup alarm or spotter was in use.

For healthcare campuses, docking areas and drive lanes are part of the workplace. Keep pedestrians clear of reversing trucks, use spotters where required by policy, and keep timeout/read-back and speak-up habits for clinical high-risk steps.

• Cleveland 19 News (WOIO)
• News 5 Cleveland