What was supposed to be a night of go-kart fun in Port St. Lucie has now turned into a courtroom fight. The parents of 6-year-old Emma Riddle have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Urban Air Adventure Park, claiming the park’s choices and safety practices helped cause their daughter’s death.
Emma was critically injured in an electric go-kart crash at the Port St. Lucie Urban Air on Dec. 6, 2025, and later died at HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital, according to TCPalm.
The complaint, filed Tuesday by Morgan & Morgan attorneys, lists parents Steve Riddle Jr. and Brenda Horrutinier Montelie as plaintiffs and demands a jury trial and damages in excess of $50,000, TCPalm reports. The lawsuit claims the Port St. Lucie park ignored go-kart manufacturer guidelines and its own written rules by running karts and speed settings designed for adults while allowing children to ride.
State Probe Found Rule Breaches
A Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services investigation concluded there were multiple violations at the Port St. Lucie facility and proposed a $300,000 settlement with the park operator, according to ABC News. Investigators noted that the manufacturer’s double-seat kart requires drivers to be at least 18 years old and 60 inches tall, while Emma was about 49 inches tall, the outlet reported.
State inspectors also cited inconsistent or unclear posted rules and failures to enforce safety restraints, according to the same report. Those findings now sit in the background of the civil case, giving the family’s attorneys additional ammunition as they argue the park fell short of even its own standards.
Police Report And Surveillance
Port St. Lucie dispatchers received a 911 call just before 9 p.m. on Dec. 6, and first responders rushed Emma to a waiting helicopter. She was airlifted to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital, where she later died, as reported by CBS News.
A preliminary police report obtained by WPTV states that Emma was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed an attendant did not verify that her restraints were fastened before the kart left the loading area, the station reported.
Family’s Allegations And Legal Claims
In the new lawsuit, Morgan & Morgan attorneys allege that several of the facility’s karts had ongoing mechanical problems and that Emma’s kart suddenly accelerated without the proper pedal input, causing a high-speed collision, according to reporting by WPBF.
“Urban Air has a duty to protect every child that walks through their doors, and we allege that they failed Emma in the most devastating way imaginable,” Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan said in a firm statement, as reported by TCPalm.
Legal Questions Ahead
Attorneys who take on indoor-adventure parks often find themselves wrestling with thick waivers and mandatory arbitration clauses before they ever get in front of a jury. Industry coverage of prior Urban Air cases shows those contracts can quickly become the main battleground, according to an analysis by LegalClarity.
The Riddle family’s legal team has already signaled that they intend to push for a traditional court case and a jury trial rather than private arbitration, setting up what could be a drawn-out fight over where and how the dispute is heard.
Urban Air’s Statement
Urban Air has said it is “heartbroken” over Emma’s death and is cooperating with state and local authorities. The company also said the go-kart attraction remains closed while investigations continue, CBS News reported. The park’s national website still lists the Port St. Lucie location but does not offer any additional public comment on the lawsuit.
The Broward County filing formally sets the civil case in motion. Fights over venue, discovery, and any attempt to force the dispute into arbitration will likely dictate how fast, or how slowly, the family gets its day before a judge or jury. Further developments will hinge on upcoming motions, hearings, and court orders as the case moves through the system.
