The legal repercussions from the tragic incident at the 2022 Raleigh Christmas Parade, where 11-year-old Hailey Brooks was killed, continue to evolve as the Brooks family's lawsuit seeks accountability, according to ABC11. The City of Raleigh and two city employees have been added to the suit, which initially included the parade organizers and the driver of the float that struck the young dancer.
Originally, Landen Glass, the driver whose vehicle malfunctioned leading to the catastrophic event, and the float company, were named defendants, however, recent amendments have seen these parties dropped from the suit leaving the City of Raleigh, Whitney Schoenfeld, the city of Raleigh’s interim senior manager of special events, and Kirk Archer, the city of Raleigh’s special event planner to share the legal spotlight alongside the parade organizers as newfound defendants, WRAL reports. Amid these significant changes, a spokesperson for the city has refrained from comment, citing the active status of the litigation.
In an intentional pivot following the incident, the City of Raleigh banned motorized vehicles in the 2023 parade but has since revisited and revised its policy, welcoming them back with new safety regulations, as documented by ABC11. This policy shift reflects an effort by city authorities to balance tradition with enhanced participant safety.
The amended lawsuit alleges a lapse in duty by the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association and the new city defendants: insufficient hazard analysis for the event, failure to adequately inspect vehicles and establish policies for drivers and the use of floats, and the lack of trained crowd managers along the parade route have been cited as contributory factors to the tragedy, CBS17 reports. Asserting that the death of Hailey was completely avoidable, the lawsuit serves as a grievous reminder of the Brook family's hope that such an event never recurs.
