Thursday, February 14, 2008

Toddler dies in parade float accident


Toddler dies in parade float accident

July 4, 2001 Posted: 3:22 PM EDT (1922 GMT)

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DOUGLASVILLE, Georgia (AP) -- A 2-year-old boy slipped from a float and was crushed to death Wednesday as he rode in an annual Fourth of July parade in Douglasville, Georgia.

Cole Sweat of Villa Rica was riding with his grandparents when he slipped and was crushed under the float's trailer. He was pronounced dead at a hospital, Douglas County Coroner Randy Daniel said.

The parade was halted after the accident.

"It's just an unfortunate accident. It's something that everybody's grieving over," said Daniel, who also was riding in the parade. "The (paramedics) worked just as hard as they could to save the boy's life, but it just couldn't be done."

The boy's body was sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab for an autopsy, but police are considering the death an accident, Daniel said.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

A small Red River town is in mourning after the death of a five-year-old girl who stumbled and fell beneath the wheels of a parade float.

Monday, October 02, 2006

POTTSBORO (AP) - A small Red River town is in mourning after the death of a five-year-old girl who stumbled and fell beneath the wheels of a parade float.

Police in the Lake Texoma-area town of Pottsboro say they're withholding the girl's name at her parents' request.

She died at a Dallas hospital Saturday after the accident at the tail end of Pottsboro's annual Frontier Days festival parade that morning. Witnesses say the girl was walking beside a float from which candy was being thrown when she slipped and fell beneath the wheels of the trailer bearing the float.

Several men were able to lift the trailer off the girl, and she was airlifted about 70 miles south to Children's Medical Center of Dallas, where she died.

The girl attended Wakefield Elementary School in nearby Sherman. School district officials there say counselors will be available there for students who need them.

Pottsboro is a town of about 2,000 residents about ten miles northwest of Sherman.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Businessman Run Over by Parade Float


New Orleans 02/04/08
Businessman Run Over by Parade Float

Posted: Feb 4, 2008 03:32 PM


Hancock County is mourning the loss of a well-known businessman after a Mardi Gras accident.

Jody Compretta, 39, died during a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans Saturday night.

Compretta was riding on a float in the Endymion parade. He was run over by the tail end of the float as he tried to get off of it, once the parade ended near the Superdome.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Compretta was the son of State Representative J. P. Compretta and owned a medical supply company in Bay St. Louis. He was a former president of the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Bay Area Recovery Team.

10-year-old boy was injured Saturday when a float hit him





Prichard police have asked for funds to buy barricades

City lacks barriers, and a 10-year-old boy was injured Saturday when a float hit him
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
By RON COLQUITT
Staff Reporter

Barricades along the Krewe of Goats parade route Saturday in Prichard would have prevented a 10-year-old boy from being struck by a float, concerned citizens said Monday.

Prichard Police Chief Lawrence Battiste said there are no barricades along any of Prichard's Mardi Gras parade routes.

He said that he applied for federal funds to buy barricades before the beginning of this year's Mardi Gras festivities.

It would cost $50,000 to $100,000 for enough barricades to line the parade routes through his city, Battiste said, noting he hopes to get the money and have the barricades in place next year.

"I would just ask parents to be more vigilant during the parades and keep their children away from the floats," Battiste said.

The chief said that he participated in the Saturday parade in which the child was injured, but did not witness the accident.

Nona Simmons, a Prichard police spokeswoman, declined to identify the boy Monday but said he suffered a broken leg during the parade along St. Stephens Road. He was taken to USA Children's & Women's Hospital for treatment.

No charges were filed against Alvin Taylor Jr., who was driving the vehicle pulling the float, authorities said.

Battiste said that he understood that Taylor stopped the float as soon as the child was struck.

Fifty Alabama State Troopers in cars and on motorcycles helped keep order during Monday's parade, Battiste said.

Troopers on motorcycles rode back and forth along the parade route, telling people to stay out of the street while the floats rolled.

Mallory Rembert brought her 23-month-old daughter and several nephews and nieces to Monday's parade in Prichard.

Rembert, 23, of Prichard said she was not aware that the boy was injured during Saturday's Krewe of Goats parade, but she said she was disturbed by the news.

"They should have barricades on every parade so it will be safe for kids, so they won't get hit," she said.

Children get excited by the approaching floats and the promise of throws, she said.

"Their parents should be watching them instead of letting them run off," Rembert said.

She said she would be willing to pay extra taxes to raise money for the barricades.

Gladys Vassel, 53, of Prichard, who brought her 9-year-old granddaughter to Monday's parade, said she wasn't surprised that someone had been hurt.

"They didn't have any barricades out protecting them," she said.

© 2008 Press-Register

Sunday, February 3, 2008

October 30, 2001 Parade Float Accident Schools deal with painful death of student after parade float accident

Courier News (Bridgewater, NJ)
October 30, 2001

Section: Local
Page: B1

Topics:
Index Terms:
Death
Fatality
Celebration
Parade
Education
Student
Schools deal with painful death of student after parade float accident
Author: Kara L. Richardson; Staff Courier News
Dateline: Montgomery
Article Text:By KARA L. RICHARDSON Staff Writer A quiet, but enthusiastic boy was missing Monday from a fourth-grade classroom in Princeton. George Dale, 9, died after he fell off a Montgomery Township Spirit Day float Saturday morning. He was tossing candy with his father Henry Dale, an eighth-grade teacher in Montgomery. It is unclear whether George, who attended Johnson Park School, was accidentally shoved off the float, if there was a bump in the road or if the float made a sudden jolt that knocked him off the trailer and possibly under a wheel. While the accident is still under investigation, the boy's family and two school districts - Princeton Regional and Montgomery - remembered George, ached for his father who saw the accident happen and tried to cope with the tragedy. Princeton Regional teachers and staff were called over the weekend to prepare for a tough morning, Superintendent Claire Kohn said. The Johnson Park teachers and staff gathered before classes began to talk about George and how to react. "George is remembered as a very sweet child," said Claire Kohn, superintendent of Princeton Regional School District. "He was very popular among his classmates. He was quiet but held in high regard by the adults in the school, particularly his teachers, and by his classmates." There were counselors available in Johnson Park school, she said. In Montgomery, Spirit Day has been a popular event for almost 20 years, Committeeman Don Matthews said. That means thousands of kids were decorating the floats, watching the parade or playing in soccer games, he said. When the marching band came through and the parade stopped, the word spread quickly though the township and the normally joyous fall day turned somber, he said. "All of a sudden the mood changed completely, everybody just packed up and left," he said. Because so many students might have seen the accident and have been taught by the popular Montgomery Middle School social studies teacher, township schools also had counselors available, said Jack Rotter, a Montgomery schools spokesman. There will be a memorial service at 10 a.m. Saturday at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, 50 Cherry Hill Road, Princeton, said George's aunt, Lucy Gatchell. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to "George's scholarship fund for neighborhood children" at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon St., Princeton, NJ 08542.
Copyright (c) Courier News. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Gannett Co., Inc. by NewsBank, inc.
Record Number: brg2001103111130759

July 22, 2001 Parade Float Accident Boy, 15, dies under wheels of a parade float

July 22, 2001 Parade Float Accident

Associated Press Archive
July 22, 2001

Topics:
Index Terms:
U.S. Domestic
Boy, 15, dies under wheels of a parade float carrying country line dancers
Dateline: FAIRBANKS, Alaska
Article Text:A 15-year-old boy died beneath the wheels of a parade float carrying country line dancers after he tried to climb on board, authorities said. Rescue workers responding to the accident Saturday on the route of the Golden Days parade were unable to revive the boy, identified as David Lee Truex of Fairbanks. The dance group was being pulled on the back of a tractor-trailer rig. Scores of bystanders along the parade route witnessed the accident.
Copyright 2001, 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Record Number: D7DD6BIG0

October 28, 2001 Parade Float Accident Boy fatally crushed in Somerset parade float accident

Star-Ledger, The (Newark, NJ)
October 28, 2001

Edition: FINAL
Section: NEW JERSEY
Page: 25

Boy fatally crushed in Somerset parade float accident
Author: CATHY BUGMAN; STAR-LEDGER STAFF
Article Text:The 9-year-old son of a Montgomery Township teacher died yesterday after he fell off a parade float and was crushed in front of a crowd of horrified onlookers, authorities said. George Dale tumbled off the float into the gap between the front of the rolling display and the rear bumper of a pickup truck that was pulling it, Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest said. Dale and his father, eighth-grade teacher Henry Dale, both Princeton Borough residents, were among the 20 people on the float, which was sponsored by the Montgomery Teachers Education Association. "He fell through the open area, onto the roadway, and was run over by the trailer," Forrest said. The tragedy occurred at 10:14 a.m., just minutes after the parade stepped off from its gathering spot in the parking lot of Montgomery Middle School, Forrest said. The float was headed down the middle school driveway, to Burnt Hill Road, which was lined with spectators, to the high school. "It really was an accident. I don't believe that flatbed was going more than 3 miles an hour," said Montgomery School Superintendent Stuart Schnur, who was in a car in front of the float carrying the boy. "A bike could have gone faster than we were going." Stunned parade watchers saw the boy slip under the vehicle, but by the time the driver of the truck, James Ladtanzio, 45, of Corning, N.Y., was alerted, it was too late, the prosecutor said. Ladtanzio is an employee of Bond Parade Float Co., which was hired to provide the truck and trailer, Forrest said. George Dale was transported to the Medical Center at Princeton, where he was pronounced dead at 11:27 a.m., authorities said. The boy suffered severe head and chest injuries, but investigators are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of death, Forrest said. He did not know when the results will be available. The flatbed trailer, 28 feet long, 8 feet wide and 3 feet off the ground, has a railing on each side that reaches up 3 feet high, as well as a barrier in the back to protect people from falling off, authorities said. But George was near the front of the trailer where there is a 2-foot gap between the rear bumper of the truck and the beginning of the float, Forrest said. The prosecutor's Collision Analysis Reconstruction Team was sent to the scene. No charges have been filed, but investigators are continuing their probe. Yesterday, teachers at Princeton's Johnson Park School were busy calling families of students who were in classes with the boy and his brother, Julian, who is a first-grade student at the school. Princeton School Superintendent Claire Sheff Kohn said parents were asked if they want to tell their children about the tragedy or if they would prefer school officials to announce the news. "We are also pulling psychologists and social workers from other schools so they will be on hand," Sheff Kohn said. In the Dales' neighborhood, residents were shocked to hear that the boy who was often seen skateboarding up and down John Street had died. Neighbors said he was a quiet child, the second of three boys. They said he enjoyed sports and playing video games. Yesterday's parade, the kickoff of a longtime Montgomery tradition "Spirit Day," was canceled immediately after the incident. The procession featured a marching band, five floats, a firetruck and ambulance, among other parade units, with township residents lining the middle school driveway eager to cheer on their friends and neighbors. Afterward, a carnival with food, games and community booths was to have been held. "So many teachers felt so terrible with the tragedy that we decided to close up," Schnur said. "What a horrible thing, to have one of our children hurt so horribly."
Copyright 2001 The Star-Ledger. All Rights Reserved. Used by NewsBank with Permission.
Record Number: star20013bdc61300

Barta’s daughter hit in parade

Barta’s daughter hit in parade

By Brian Morelli
Iowa City Press-Citizen


• Photo gallery: UI Homecoming Celebration

The 7-year-old daughter of University of Iowa’s top athletic official was struck during the Homecoming 2007 parade last week.

UI Athletic Director Gary Barta’s daughter Madison was participating in the parade, walking alongside a float on Friday handing out candy when she tripped, fell and was run over, Gary Barta said on Wednesday.

“It was very scary for her and my wife and I, but she is going to be OK,” Gary Barta said, noting that he did not see the accident first hand but arrived on the scene shortly after.

Madison Barta suffered a lower leg fracture, Gary Barta said, but she is starting to feel better.

On Tuesday, the Press-Citizen reported that a 5-year-old girl fell off a float and was run over at about 6:23 p.m. Friday at the Washington and Dubuque streets intersection, based on information from Iowa City police and parade officials.

Gary Barta estimated that was about the same time and place his daughter was struck.

After medical personnel cleared her, Madison Barta was transported by a private vehicle to University Hospitals for care. Gary Barta said this was closer than an ambulance.

While some have said the parade is becoming too dangerous, and are calling for measures such as banning candy, Barta said the incident will not deter his family from coming back to the parade and has not prompted him to push for any new regulations.

“The Homecoming parade is a great tradition … I want the best, safest parade possible, but I am not involved in any discussions or any kind of charge to change the parade,” Barta said. “My family and I will continue to be part of the Homecoming parade.”
http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071003/NEWS01/71003005/1079/rss01

GIRL HURT BY PARADE FLOAT CHOSEN GRAND MARSHAL FOR FIRST FRIDAY

GIRL HURT BY PARADE FLOAT CHOSEN GRAND MARSHAL FOR FIRST FRIDAY
Accident last year prompts Clemson to make changes to parade
Published: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 - 6:00 am
The Greenville News
By Anna Simon
CLEMSON BUREAU

CLEMSON -- A Clemson Elementary student run over by a float in Clemson University's First Friday parade last year will ride in the parade as the grand marshal this year.

Now recovered from serious injuries, she will ride in a convertible in the parade that starts at 6 p.m. Friday, said Pam Davis, associate director of union programs at the university.

Caroline Terry, then 9, ran up to a float where people were handing out bottled water on the hot summer evening when she slipped and was run over by a tire of the trailer bearing the float.

She was airlifted to a hospital, and what had been an enjoyable annual outing for her family turned into a nightmare.

"Caroline's accident last year was one of the hardest things we have ever been through as a family," said her mother, Melissa Terry. "However, the support of our family, friends and the Clemson community was unbelievable. As soon as Caroline was injured, it was incredible to see the number of community members and students who dropped to their knees to pray."

Terry believes her daughter survived because of their prayers.

Support kept coming. Every athletic team at Clemson sent T-shirts, cards and other get-well wishes, Terry said. The Tiger and Central Spirit came to visit Caroline at her house to lift her spirits as she recovered.

When Caroline returned to school, she joined the fourth-grade Cruisers program that teaches children to make good choices when in cars, on bicycles or on foot. Caroline created a PowerPoint presentation and tells her story to other children to help prevent accidents like hers.

It's helped her deal with the emotional side of the trauma, her mother said.

Caroline will wear her purple Cruisers shirt in the parade, her mother said.

Her teacher, principal and fellow students in the Cruisers program will walk behind her convertible "wearing their purple Cruisers shirts, to show their support of her and to let others know about this program," Terry said.

There are about 45 entries in the parade, which runs along State 93 from Cherry Road in front of the President's House to Williamson Road, just past the lower intramural fields, Davis said.

Entries include the Clemson Tiger Band, various ROTC military groups, the Clemson Sports Car Club and 11 sorority floats, Davis said.

The sorority floats are already under construction behind Bryan Mall next to the President's House.

The theme for the parade this year is "From Fun in the Sun to Death in the Valley," in advance of the first home game of the year on Saturday, when the Clemson Tigers take on Florida Atlantic University at 3:30 p.m.

There are new rules for this year's parade in the wake of the incident last year to create a safe environment for participants and spectators, Davis said.

No one will be allowed to hand out or throw any materials or items before, during or immediately after the parade. No one will be allowed to ride on top of vehicles, and anyone walking with a vehicle or float must remain at least five feet behind the vehicle at all times.

A pep rally will follow the parade at Riggs Field.

Disney Performer Killed By Parade Float

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A costumed worker dressed as the character Pluto was killed after being run over and killed by a Walt Disney World float during an afternoon parade Wednesday, according to Local 6 News.

Javier Cruz, 38, of Orlando was killed in a backstage area
of the Magic Kingdom, near the Splash Mountain ride, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Cruz had worked at the park for eight years, officials said.Disney spokeswoman Rena Langley said Cruz wastoward the end of the parade and was about to enter the park when he was hit. Langley said she wasn't sure if any visitors witnessed what happened."To my knowledge there has never been an accident like this before," Langley said. "Clearly, it's a difficult and tragic day for all of us."The Orange County Sheriff's Office was investigating, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration also was sending an investigator."The investigation shows it to be accidental," said Carlos Torres, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Donna-Lynne Dalton, recording secretary for Teamsters Local 385, which represents costumed workers at Disney World, said at this point it appears all rules were being followed during the parade."It's just a horrible, horrible tragedy," Dalton said.The last time a worker died at Walt Disney World was in 1999 when a part-time employee who had been working in the loading area of the Magic Kingdom Skyway fell to his death. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration later fined Walt Disney World $4,500 for what it called a "serious" violation of safety standards. The ride was closed later that year.Cruz's death occurred as Disney chairman and CEO Michael Eisner and other top executives were at the resort for a conference with investment analysts. Cable television giant Comcast Corp. made a surprise bid Wednesday to buy The Walt Disney Co. for more than $54 billion.Watch Local 6 News for more on this breaking news story.

Anoter Parade Float Accident POTTSBORO

Monday, October 02, 2006

POTTSBORO (AP) - A small Red River town is in mourning after the death of a five-year-old girl who stumbled and fell beneath the wheels of a parade float.

Police in the Lake Texoma-area town of Pottsboro say they're withholding the girl's name at her parents' request.

She died at a Dallas hospital Saturday after the accident at the tail end of Pottsboro's annual Frontier Days festival parade that morning. Witnesses say the girl was walking beside a float from which candy was being thrown when she slipped and fell beneath the wheels of the trailer bearing the float.

Several men were able to lift the trailer off the girl, and she was airlifted about 70 miles south to Children's Medical Center of Dallas, where she died.

The girl attended Wakefield Elementary School in nearby Sherman. School district officials there say counselors will be available there for students who need them.

Pottsboro is a town of about 2,000 residents about ten miles northwest of Sherman.

Boy dies in N.H. holiday parade float

Boy dies in N.H. holiday parade float accident
9-year-old killed after being struck by trailer carried by pickup truck
Updated: 3:45 p.m. ET Dec 3, 2006

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - A 9-year-old boy has died after being hit by a float in the city’s annual holiday parade.

The boy was hit around 6:15 p.m. Saturday, shortly after the parade started. The float, a trailer being pulled by a pickup truck, was carrying about 20 Cub Scouts ranging in age from 8 to 11, police said.

Authorities did not say if the boy who was struck was one of the scouts on the float. The boy’s name was not released.
It wasn’t clear how the boy was struck. Investigators are trying to sort out many different accounts provided by witnesses, said Lt. Rod McQuate. Authorities are also asking anyone with photographs or videotape of the accident to come forward.

“It goes without saying this is a terrible tragedy,” Chief Michael Magnant said.

One witness said that the boy had been seated on the float with his feet dangling from the side and fell off when the trailer appeared to hit a bump in the road. The boy landed in the path of the trailer’s wheels and was run over, said James Collins, a cook a local restaurant.
© 2006 The Associated Press

Toddler dies in parade float accident

Toddler dies in parade float accident

July 4, 2001 Posted: 3:22 PM EDT (1922 GMT)
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DOUGLASVILLE, Georgia (AP) -- A 2-year-old boy slipped from a float and was crushed to death Wednesday as he rode in an annual Fourth of July parade in Douglasville, Georgia.

Cole Sweat of Villa Rica was riding with his grandparents when he slipped and was crushed under the float's trailer. He was pronounced dead at a hospital, Douglas County Coroner Randy Daniel said.

The parade was halted after the accident.

"It's just an unfortunate accident. It's something that everybody's grieving over," said Daniel, who also was riding in the parade. "The (paramedics) worked just as hard as they could to save the boy's life, but it just couldn't be done."

The boy's body was sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab for an autopsy, but police are considering the death an accident, Daniel said.

Parade Float Accident in FL


Nine-year-old killed after being run over by parade float in Plant City Christmas parade


PLANT CITY -- Police in Plant City are investigating an accident where a child was run over by a parade float. It happened at the Plant City Christmas Parade near the intersection of South Collins Street and East Laura Street.
According to officials the 9-year-old Jordan Davis Hays of Lake Panasoffkee was walking alongside the float, passing out candy when he tripped and fell under the float sponsored by the Greater Heights Family Worship Center.

According to police he was hit by the float twice as witnesses tried to alert the boys' cousin, Ricky Carlton, who was driving the float.

The boy was transported to South Florida Baptist Hospital where he was pronounced dead.


Copyright 2007 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Parade Float Accident New Hampshire





Parade Float Accident New Hampshire

By Adam Leech
aleech@seacoastonline.com
December 16, 2007 6:30 AM

PORTSMOUTH — Of the many trees on Peirce Island, one stands out among the rest.

Just beyond the pool stands a white fir adorned with Christmas decorations seemingly without an owner. But upon closer inspection, a granite marker below it reveals the owner. This is Thomas' tree.

But a group of local dog walkers — just about the only people who go out to the island during the winter months — have made it their own. Over the past month, they've progressively added more and more decorations to the tree in memory of Thomas Fogarty, who died at age 9 after falling off the Cub Scout float he was riding on in the 2006 Holiday Parade.

"Someone put one bulb on the tree and we all walk our dogs down there, so we passed the word along. And more decorations went up," said Steven Marison, a dog walker from Portsmouth. "We just thought the family would appreciate it ... we wanted them to know people are thinking about them."

Brian and Debbie Fogarty got their first glimpse of the tree on Thursday — two weeks after the one-year anniversary of Thomas' death. While their grieving is ongoing, the couple has been continually amazed by acts of kindness and remembrance by people in their hometown of Greenland and throughout the Seacoast.

The tree was dedicated to Thomas in July by the city Trees and Greenery Committee.

Brian said Thomas loved Christmas, so decorating the tree is very appropriate and very much appreciated.

"It's very sweet," Debbie said. "It's so nice of them to do this."

"We've been out a few times since (the dedication), but we haven't had the chance to get out here that much lately," Brian said. "But this is a good reason to come back out."

Brian and Debbie walked with their 8-year-old son Andrew in this year's Holiday Parade, along with members of Thomas' old Cub Scout pack who were there when the accident occurred.

Andrew, who is a Cub Scout, really wanted to be part of the parade, Debbie said, and so did they.

"For me, I didn't know how I was going to react, but I wanted us to be part of it," Brian said. "It was good. It was a great feeling because we got back together as a group with the Scouts and I thought it was important for us to do that."

Brian said the Fogartys continue to be surprised by the number of gestures and dedications to Thomas, some they don't know about until well after the fact. Recently, a bench in Remembrance Park — across the street from Greenland Central School, where Thomas was a student — was dedicated to Thomas, not far from another tree planted by his old Cub Scout pack in his memory.

"I'm sure there's a lot of things people have done that we don't know about, which is fine," Brian said. "But the fact that people are doing things in memory of somebody they've never met, I find that amazing."

Before they left the island, Brian and Debbie hung one more ornament — the same one Thomas made for them in first grade with his picture in it.

"That way, people who come here," Debbie said, "this is for them to see who Thomas was."

Investigation underway in fatal Plant City parade float accident


Plant City -- Last night's City Commission meeting went on as scheduled. But from the prayers and the mayor's opening remarks, it was clear everyone's mind was on nine-year-old Jordan Hays. He was killed when he was run over by a Christmas parade float Friday night.

"No words can be spoken to ease the pain. I know all of us are searching for those words. There are no words," Mayor Rick Lott told the gathering.

After Friday's accident, city leaders are calling not only for a full investigation into what happened, but policy changes as well. Plant City Manager Dave Sollenberger told us, "We're not sitting back and ignoring this. We're deeply concerned and we never want to see anything like this happen again."

According to police, the boy was walking alongside the float drivien by his cousin, passing out candy to the crowd during the city's annual Christmas parade. His leg got caught in the wheel of the float trailer. He was pulled under and run over.

Johnny Knotts was among four people who tried to save Jordan as he was slipping away. "He was with four people who really loved him that night...and he was at peace," Knotts said.

The accident has left everyone in city government uneasy. Could it have been avoided? Were emergency responders there quick enough? Those are questions the City Manager wants answered in full reports from the police department, the fire department, and the parade committee.

The reports are due in the next few weeks. Once the city manager has compiled all the information, he plans on presenting some recommendations to the City Commission at their first meeting in January on what do do to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

Most city government officials plan to attend Jordan's funeral this Friday in Floral City.

December 2, 2007 Parade Float Accident

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St. Augustine Record, The (FL)
December 2, 2007

Section: News

Boy hurt in fall from parade float
Author: TIFFANY PAKKALA; tiffany.pakkala@staugustine.com
Article Text:A small boy is in stable condition after he fell off a float and was run over at the St. Augustine Christmas Parade Saturday, bringing the show to an abrupt halt in front of a crowd of spectators. Onlookers said Jacob Johns, 7, of St. Augustine, had his feet dangling close to a tire on the St. Johns County Parks and Recreation float at about 11:05 a.m. when he became entangled with the tire. "He was kicking his feet and the tire grabbed him and pulled him down," said Bill Mock as rescue workers attended the boy at the corner of Joiner Street and San Marco Avenue where the accident happened. ctxt_ad_css ='http://www.staugustine.com/css/yahoo.css';ctxt_ad_source = 'npc_morris_staugustinerecord_t2_ctxt_test';ctxt_ad_config = '9472395290';ctxt_ad_id = 'news';ctxt_ad_type = 'news';ctxt_ad_interface = 'http://cm.npc-morris.overture.com/js_1_0/';ctxt_ad_url = window.location.href;ctxt_ad_width = 300;ctxt_ad_height = 250; "I almost said something when they went by. I wish I had," Mock said. The trailer, decorated to look like an oversized sleigh, ran over the boy's abdomen after he fell between the deck and cargo rail. The accident happened about an hour into the parade. A nurse and an off-duty rescue worker who were watching the parade rushed to the boy's aid, according to St. Augustine Police. A St. Johns County Fire and Rescue ambulance arrived minutes later, driving up the parade route past all the waiting participants and spectators. St. Augustine Fire Department also responded. The parks float was near the end of the parade. WEB EXTRA Video: 'Young child' run over during parade Jacob, who was lying on the road to the left of the trailer as medical personnel worked on him, was conscious as crews cut off his red Christmas shirt and most of his jeans. They placed a splint on his leg and carefully moved him to a stretcher. The parade, which had been on hold for about 20 minutes, resumed as Jacob was rushed to a landing site, where a helicopter picked him up and flew him to Shands Jacksonville. The hospital listed him in stable condition Saturday afternoon.
Copyright 2007, The St. Augustine Record, All Rights Reserved.
Record Number: 11D4E02AF6A332A8

December 2, 2007 (NEW) Utility Trailer Parade float detaches.

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Region: ThorndaleTXUnited States
Region: United States
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December 2, 2007



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festive event (including carnival)
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Three injured in Texas parade mishap
UPI News ServiceBy UPI News Service
Article Text:A weekend Christmas parade in Texas turned frightening when a float detached from a truck, injuring two women and a child. Thorndale authorities said when the parade float detached from the truck pulling it Saturday, one woman became pinned between them. She was taken to the hospital complaining of severe leg pains, the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman reported Sunday. Another woman and a child on the float also were hurt when they fell during the accident.
Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc., All rights reserved.
Record Number: UPI-20071202-154039-6479

Teen Dies In Homecoming Parade Accident


Teen Dies In Homecoming Parade Accident

Paul Day
Reporting

(CBS4/AP) WESTCLIFFE, Colo. The town of Westcliffe is mourning the death of a teen who was injured during a high school homecoming parade Saturday.

Custer County High School canceled its homecoming game and dance after the accident.

County officials say Courtney Curtis, 15, tried to climb aboard a float built on a flatbed trailer and fell under the trailer's back wheels.

"She was trying to get on between the trailer and the tractor portion of the float … and her feet slipped," Sheriff Fred Jones said. "This has bothered me a lot and I've seen a lot in my career, but this has bothered me more than most of them."

She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

"She was a happy girl lots and lots of friends." Principal Barb Jones said. "She was a quiet student, but very well loved."

Custer County High School has canceled classes for Monday.

Grief counselors will be on hand when school resumes.

Would Float Railing Have Prevented N.H. Parade Tragedy?

East News
Would Float Railing Have Prevented N.H. Parade Tragedy?

December 6, 2006

A bill rejected by the state Legislature four years ago would have required a safety railing on parade floats � a measure that might have prevented the death of a 9-year-old boy in Portsmouth's holiday parade.

Some witnesses said Thomas Fogarty of Greenland was sitting with his legs dangling over the side of his Cub Scout troop's float when it hit a bump and he fell in the path of the wheels. Others said he was walking beside the float when he fell. He was run over and later died of his injuries at Portsmouth Regional Hospital.

The 2002 bill would have required floats to be equipped with a railing at least 3 feet high and solid enough to prevent a small child from squeezing through. It was rejected by the state Senate.

The bill's sponsor, former Senate President Beverly Hollingworth, D-Hampton, said it was impossible to know whether such a law would have prevented Saturday night's accident.

"I can't say this would have never happened. I can't even go there,'' said Hollingworth, who was recently elected to the Executive Council.

"I just want to say I am heartsick for the family, the people driving the float, the chaperones and everyone involved,'' she told Foster's Daily Democrat. "It must be one of the most traumatic experiences for them. Everybody can second-guess, but that's not what we should be doing right now.''

Hollingworth said many people felt at the time the bill was not needed.

"The reason legislation failed, I believe, is because everyone felt they were doing everything necessary. My feeling for sponsoring the bill was that without a lot of expense we could make sure the kids were contained within the floats,'' she said.

Hollingworth said she sponsored the bill after years of watching her children and grandchildren take part in parades.

"I always preferred to have my kids marching or walking,'' she said. "In a parade, there is just so much going on, adults can't watch every single one of the kids.''

The state's mandatory vehicle restraint law for children doesn't apply to school buses, antique cars or parade floats traveling less than 10 mph.

The Portsmouth death came a day after a 3-year-old girl was seriously injured after falling from a parade float in Freeport, Maine.

___

Information from: Foster's Daily Democrat,
http://www.fosters.com
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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2 Killed in Brooklyn Parade, 3d Dies in Accident Afterward

The New York Times


September 7, 1999
2 Killed in Brooklyn Parade, 3d Dies in Accident Afterward
By SOMINI SENGUPTA

Two 11-year-old children were killed and another child was injured yesterday afternoon when a minivan lurched out of control at the annual Caribbean parade in Brooklyn. The accident cast a pall over a joyful festival that has grown into one of the largest gatherings in New York City.

The van, which was covered with feathers and carrying costumes for parade performers, struck the children as they danced in the streets to the bouncing rhythms of Trinidadian soca music, pinning them against a mammoth sound truck just in front.

Hours later, as revelers were dispersing after the parade, an 18-year-old man was struck and killed by a sound truck along the parade route, the police said.

The accident that killed the two children came at the peak of the West Indian American Carnival parade, a festival that offers the city's West Indian immigrants a joyful release from the activities of daily life. The police did not have a crowd estimate last night, but in previous years the parade has drawn two million people, making it the largest parade in New York.

The accident delayed the festivities but did not stop them. Under unexpectedly sunny skies, nurses and cooks, housekeepers and lawyers donned sequined and feathered costumes for the procession along Eastern Parkway. Vendors served jerk chicken, curried goat and the cool juice of sorrel while flags from every Caribbean nation doubled as head scarves and sarongs. Spectators squeezed against one another, most of them unaware of the crash.

The two 11-year-olds, a boy named Dawn Joseph and a girl named Zacehel David, were taken to Kings County Hospital Center, where they were pronounced dead. A third child, Kara Charles, 10, suffered neck and back injuries and was in stable condition last night. Four others in the parade suffered minor injuries.

The police said the crash, which occurred shortly before 2 P.M., appeared to have been an accident. The driver of the van and the driver of the truck, which was carrying a soca band called Caribbean Magic, were tested for alcohol but were not intoxicated, said Inspector Michael Collins, a police spokesman.

''The victims appeared to be dancing between the van and the truck,'' Inspector Collins said. ''It doesn't appear to be alcohol-related or mechanical failure. It just looks like an accident.''

The van, a black Astro, was carrying costumes for dancers and performers up ahead. Just before the accident, the police said, the driver, Ashton P. Gertton, 71, of Brooklyn, had stepped out of the van to help some dancers with their costumes.

When he returned to the driver's seat, he apparently lost control. The driver of the truck ahead, Winston G. Scott, also of Brooklyn, was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended license, but he was not cited in connection with the accident, the police said.

Dawn Joseph had moved to Brooklyn from Florida in July to live with his mother and grandfather, the grandfather, Augustus Joseph, said last night. The boy was to start junior high school this week, and his mother, Donna, planned to enroll him in karate classes, Mr. Joseph, 54, said from the porch of his house on Midwood Street in East Flatbush.

Instead, Donna Joseph held her only child in her arms as he died, Mr. Joseph said.

''She said she just saw the van take off and she couldn't believe it was going to hit those kids,'' he said. ''But by the time she ran to try to get him out of the way, the van had already hit him. He was just crushed.''

For a little more than two hours, police officers blocked the westbound lanes of Eastern Parkway near the corner of Nostrand Avenue, where the accident had occurred. The parade continued on the two other lanes, and a cadre of police officers tried to keep an increasingly frustrated crowd behind barricades. Those who witnessed the accident described it as a momentary flash of horror, almost soundless in the midst of a noisy and boisterous celebration.

James Charles, 43, of Paterson, N.J., was standing in the shade of a tree near the intersection when, he said, he saw the minivan inexplicably accelerate. ''It just picked up speed all of a sudden and rammed into the truck,'' said Mr. Charles, a maintenance man and a native of Trinidad. ''The people were pinned in between.''

Like dozens of others, he jumped over a barricade in an effort to help, he said. A woman was pumping a little girl's chest. Another was trying to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Paramedics arrived within minutes, he said, and the police blocked off the area.

A jumble of white and pink feathers along with crushed plastic bottles lay on the street yesterday afternoon, marking the spot of the accident. After the police cleared the area and reopened the eastbound lanes of the parkway, a sound truck bearing a Trinidadian band, Krosfyah, sang their version of Bob Marley's ''Redemption Song.''

It was not the first time the Caribbean parade has been marred by fatal accidents. In 1997 a parade spectator was struck by a vehicle and killed, the police said, and in 1994 a man was crushed by the wheels of a float .

The second fatal accident yesterday occurred about 8 P.M., after the parade had ended but before all the sound trucks had been cleared off the parkway, the police said. Kevon Donovan, 18, apparently got his clothing caught in the wheel of a tractor-trailer truck near the corner of Brooklyn Avenue and was dragged under it, said Officer Valerie St. Rose, a police spokeswoman.

Witnesses said that Mr. Donovan, of Clarkson Avenue in East Flatbush, had backed into the street along with several other people when someone in the crowd brought out a large yellow snake.

''A guy came through with a snake and that's what I guess got him shook,'' said Ryan Girard, a friend of Mr. Donovan's who was mourning him outside Kings County Hospital, where he died at 9:25 P.M. ''Everybody started pushing. I tried to pull him out from under the truck, but I couldn't do nothing. He looked at me and called out my name.''

Mr. Donovan was from the Caribbean island commonwealth St. Lucia and was going into 12th grade at Frederick Douglass High School, Mr. Girard said.

The driver of the truck, Hugh Bennett, 50, of Mount Vernon, N.Y., was not charged in connection with the accident, although he was arrested on a warrant for failure to pay child support, the police said.

For the last several years, the parade has become the major event for Labor Day in the city, eclipsing the procession organized by union leaders, who this year held their parade on the Wednesday before Labor Day.

Even though the parade is an expression of Caribbean culture rather than labor solidarity, the celebration is in many ways a fitting Labor Day procession, led by thousands of men and women who make the city work. But for this Labor Day parade, workaday clothes often take a holiday.

Yesterday, a nurse who works the night shift at Kings County Hospital strutted around in a costume with six serpents dancing above his head.

A security guard who commutes for two hours every day called herself Tiger Tiger, outfitted in a leopard-spot bodysuit. A beautician from Far Rockaway, Queens, became a butterfly with gossamer wings of blue and silver.

Indeed, for those who do it year after year, playing mas, as the masquerade of Carnival is called, is not just a reminder of the rituals of home, but a brief escape from the trouble and toil of everyday existence.

''Because of the stressful life we have, everybody looks forward to this,'' said Ricardo Lorick, the nurse, who was parading yesterday with a group called Hawks International. ''Instead of taking my frustration out on my family and my patients, I save it up and take it out here.''

Several of his colleagues from Kings County marched in hospital T-shirts. ''That's boring,'' Mr. Lorick said flatly. Instead, he posed for pictures early yesterday afternoon in an outfit he designed and built at home -- an imaginary creature with gold wings and six snake heads. He called himself Beast Master. ''I like being in the spotlight.''

He wasn't alone. Michael Lewis, the king of Hawks International, showed a visitor his turquoise blue costume, which weighed 60 pounds.

He said he and his wife had spent nearly $10,000 on their costumes this year and had spent countless evenings cutting and sewing in the backyard of their house in Richmond Hill, all for a hot afternoon of dancing and extravagant display.

Today, he will return to work in a suit and tie, as a chief financial officer of a legal services agency. ''For 35 to 55 hours a week, you're in an office, and you need an outlet,'' said Mr. Lewis, 48. ''Although this is very difficult work -- a lot of time goes into it -- it's very relaxing to me. A lot of people will tell you this is therapy for me, instead of paying a psychiatrist.''

Bill would change laws for parades

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/hampton/01302007/nhnews-hu-h-reg-
legislative0130.html


Bill would change laws for parades

By Chris Dornin
Golden Dome News
CONCORD -- A Portsmouth lawmaker has filed a bill to ban flatbed
trailers with outrigger wheels from parades after the recent death of
a Greenland Cub Scout. Nine-year-old Thomas Fogarty was riding on a
Portsmouth Holiday Parade float with his Scout pack around 6:15 p.m.
Dec. 2 on Islington Street when he somehow fell in front of a double-
axle wheel. Authorities don't know what caused the tragedy, but they
have ruled it an accident.

Representative Paul McEachern, D-Portsmouth, is prime sponsor of HB
296, a one-line bill that says, "No person may use any type of
flatbed trailer with outrigger wheels in a parade." McEachern said
the wheels on Fogarty's float stuck out from the side of the trailer.

"The police said the boy was sitting forward of the outrigger wheels
and either fell in front of them or got his leg caught in the wheel
and was pulled under," the Portsmouth rep said. "Many trailers have
the wheels underneath. Those wouldn't be outlawed."

Senator Maggie Hassan, D-Exeter, has filed a companion bill that
might merge with McEachern's. She hasn't seen the final draft, but
her legislation would require a parade permit for any float that
carries minors. The float would either have a 3-foot railing to keep
kids from falling off, or the adults would tether or seat belt the
kids onto the platform. If these options were impractical, the
sponsors of the float could set up radio communication between the
adult on the flatbed and the driver so the truck could stop at the
first sign of danger.

"They've got to be able to hit the brakes right now," Hassan said.
"The intent isn't to dictate what to do in every case, but to get
them thinking about the situation they're placing kids in. Hopefully,
the adult would see a dangerous problem in time to intervene."

Rep. Jim Splaine, D-Portsmouth, is a co-sponsor on both bills, and
other Seacoast lawmakers may be signing on.

McEachern said a second serious accident in the same holiday parade
could have become a fatality. A man walking beside a flatbed float
was using a rope to tow the bell of a restored antique fire pump. The
heavy trailer wheels ran over his toes.

"He's had all kinds of complications," MacEachern said "He was either
walking too slow, or the parade started back up when he wasn't
expecting. People have to realize how dangerous these trailers are,
despite their slow speed. They're just not designed for parades,
which are stop and go by definition."

Walter Lebor, the owner of Great Northern Excavating in Exeter, said
he's never seen the trailer addressed in McEachern's bill. He assumed
it applies to specialty trailers for hauling extra-heavy equipment.

"The standard low-bed around town doesn't have them," Lebor said.
"Some have metal brackets to give it an extra foot of width, but the
wheels are way inside the outrigger. I can't think of any trailer it
would apply to."

McEachern said he has in mind wheels that jut outside the outline of
the trailer as viewed from above.

Portsmouth Police Lt. Rodney McQuate headed the accident
investigation and confirmed that no charges would be filed.

The boy's parents could not be reached by phone, but they have set up
a memorial fund for their late son to support school enrichment
programs. Donors may send gifts to the Thomas Edward Fogarty Memorial
Fund, c/o Greenland Central School, 70 Post Road, Greenland, NH 03840.

Brian and Deborah Fogarty issued a statement a few days after their
loss, thanking the community for its overwhelming support and
praising the rescue workers.

"We ask that you please keep everyone involved in this tragic
accident in your thoughts and prayers," the parents said, describing
Thomas as a beautiful, bright, energetic, and life-loving boy.

"Although this is a tragic and sad time in our lives, we believe that
something positive will come out of this," they added. "Last, we ask
that you give your children an extra hug tonight and value the time
that you have together.

5-year-old hit by vehicle at parade

5-year-old hit by vehicle at parade

Accident drives talk of candy ban

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Photo gallery: UI Homecoming Celebration

Organizers of the University of Iowa homecoming parade said it was unfortunate that a child was run over during Friday's parade, while some people want to ban candy being distributed during the event.

"It is really up to parents to keep their kids back," said Shelly Stout, the executive director of the UI Homecoming Council, the group that planned the parade. "We can only do so much with our crowd control. It is unfortunate that this happened."

Police responded at 6:23 p.m. Friday to the Washington and Dubuque streets intersection, which was on the parade route, to an unnamed 5-year-old who was run over by a vehicle, according to Sgt. Troy Kelsay, the public information officer with the Iowa City Police Department.

"The dispatcher was under the impression it was more of a scare than anything, but I don't know the extent of injuries," Kelsay said, adding the child was transported by a private vehicle to a hospital, but he was not sure which one.

Kelsay and Stout said this is the first accident they can recall during the annual parade, and they had not received any complaints or heard of other incidents this year.

Stout said she did not have many details about the accident but said that a girl fell off a truck bed.

Some residents have expressed concern that the parade is dangerous because people on the floats toss candy into the crowd, prompting children to run into the street and potentially in front of moving vehicles.

Stout said their policy forbids throwing candy from floats, but they can hand it to people directly.

Rhys Jones of Iowa City attended the parade with his wife and 6-year-old twins. He said the candy makes the parade dangerous.

Jones said he watched four or five incidents where people would grab candy from the floats and dump handfuls into the middle of the street leading children to run into the middle of traffic.

"Every year you hear complaints from parents," Jones said. "It's hard to believe that Iowa City, with all its rules and regulations, allows this."

Jones said some communities don't allow candy in their parades, and that Iowa City should ban it, too.

"I am seriously questioning if we can go to another parade," Jones said, noting they have been going for the past four years.

Sgt. Doug Hart, who has been with the Iowa City Police Department for the past 15 years, was on duty at the parade Friday. He said he thinks the parade is safe and that parents must take responsibility to ensure their own children's safety.

Puller says float struck man after brakes gave out ; The accident, which injured a bystander, occurred despite new parade safety measures in Bath.

Puller says float struck man after brakes gave out ; The accident, which injured a bystander, occurred despite new parade safety measures in Bath.


Portland Press Herald (Maine)

07-06-2007

Puller says float struck man after brakes gave out ; The accident, which injured a bystander, occurred despite new parade safety measures in Bath.
Byline: MATT WICKENHEISER Staff Writer
Edition: Final
Section: Front

The man who lost control of a lawn tractor pulling a float in the Bath Heritage Days Parade last weekend said he lost his brakes before hitting and seriously injuring Mark J. Shapiro, a Maine Maritime Museum official who was handing out fliers along the route.

"I was going down Center Street hill and I lost the brakes - it just came on sudden," William Gibson of Damariscotta said Thursday. "I went to go on the side of the road, get out of everybody's way. I even tried to stop and put the emergency brake on, tried to stop it with my foot."
Shapiro, 47, remained in serious condition with a head injury Thursday at Maine Medical Center while police continued to investigate. Sunday's incident was the fourth parade accident in Maine and seacoast New Hampshire in the past year that has resulted in death or serious injury.

In the most serious, a 9-year-old boy died in December after falling from and being run over by the float on which he was riding during the annual holiday parade in Portsmouth, N.H.

Days before, a 3-year-old girl fell from a float in a Freeport parade and was seriously injured when she was run over.

Also in December, a 5-year-old girl's leg was broken while she was marching in a parade in Ellsworth and was hit by a truck towing a
trailer.


Coincidentally, the accident that injured Shapiro happened during the first year of new safety rules adopted by Bath parade organizers in response to those accidents. Police Chief Michael Field, who was chair of the Heritage Days Parade, was on the committee that worked out the new rules.

Volunteer firefighters were stationed along the parade route.

Riders couldn't hang their legs over the edge of the floats, and safe ratios of children-to-adults were determined. Riders in pickup truck beds had to be seated, he said, and tailgates had to be closed. And, Field said, parade participants weren't allowed to throw candy to the crowd - they could only hand it out.

"I was part of that parade committee, and I'm just horrified," Field said.

He said the lawn mower tractor is being inspected by a mechanic who works specifically on such vehicles, to determine whether there was a mechanical problem. He expected to have a report on the vehicle by the beginning of next week.

The department's accident reconstructionist is investigating the case, and police have interviewed witnesses as well, Field said.

Asked if criminal charges could result from the accident, Field said the District Attorney's Office would review the investigation report.

"What comes out of that, I don't know," said Field. "There's nothing pending at this point."

Field said he didn't think his involvement on the parade committee complicated the accident investigation.

"I am confident that the investigation is being handled professionally and independently of me personally," he said.

Gibson, 41, said he has had a float in the parade for the past five years to advertise his business, Will's Landscaping. He was driving a Wizard lawn mower tractor that was towing a trailer carrying his wife, brother-in-law and sister-in-law.

"I yelled, 'Watch out' really loud. The next thing you know, I hit somebody. I didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident," Gibson said.

He said a police officer and other people grabbed his tractor and trailer to stop it.

Gibson hit the steering wheel and threw his back out, he said, and his sister-in-law hurt her leg.

Shapiro joined the Maine Maritime Museum on May 24 as manager of communications and marketing, said Executive Director Amy Lent.

Shapiro also is a professional photographer and artist who maintains a studio in Tenants Harbor called "tech-tiques gallery." Shapiro is engaged to be married, Lent said.

The museum is collecting contributions to assist Shapiro's family. Anyone who is interested may call the museum at 443-1316.

Staff Writer Matt Wickenheiser can be contacted at 791-6316 or at:

mwickenheiser@pressherald.com

Illustrations/Photos:
Caption: Courtesy photo Mark Shapiro, who suffered a serious head
injury when struck by a runaway float, is engaged to be married.

Copyright 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

Mansura Teen Killed In Parade Accident

Mansura Teen Killed In Parade Accident

Article published Feb 3, 2008
Mansura Teen Killed In Parade Accident
Town Talk Staff


Mardi Gras festivities in Avoyelles Parish were marred when Kain Sayer, 21, of Mansura struck and killed his 16-year-old brother, Clay, with a Mardi Gras float in tow behind a pick-up during a parade.

The truck had stopped on Community Center Road near La. Hwy. 107 around 5 p.m. Saturday. Clay Sayer was standing near the vehicle to talk to some of the participants when Sayer began pulling forward, pinning the boy under the float, according to a Louisiana State Police press release. He died at the scene.

Police charged Sayer with DWI, vehicular homicide and careless operation, according to the release.

The Avoyelles Parish Coroner's Office is investigating the cause of death.

This is the fourth fatality investigation conducted by Troop E since the beginning of the year.

Float Rider Killed During Endymion

Float Rider Killed During Endymion


Float Rider Killed During Endymion

POSTED: 10:28 am CST February 3, 2008
UPDATED: 10:31 am CST February 3, 2008
The return of Endymion was marked with tragedy.On Saturday night, a rider on the captain’s float fell off and was killed.The accident happened outside the Superdome just after the float paraded through the Endymion Extravaganza, which takes place inside the Superdome.The back of the Superdome, where the fatality occurred, was marked off with crime scene tape by the New Orleans Police Department.Investigators said it was an accident.“Our preliminary investigation reveals that the rider attempted to exit the back of the float prematurely and he fell off the float,” NOPD Officer Jonette Williams said. “The driver did not know the man had exited or fallen off and was therefore struck by the second, back portion of the float. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim is an adult male but we are not releasing his name at this time pending notification of his family.”In 2005, a Texas woman was killed at the Endymion Extravaganza. She fell from the Superdome’s second level to the floor while watching the parade. Copyright 2007 by WDSU.com. All rights reserved. T

Hancock businessman Compretta dies in accident

Hancock businessman Compretta dies in accident








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Hancock businessman Compretta dies in accident

SUN HERALD

-- Hancock County businessman Jody Compretta died Saturday night in New Orleans as a result of an accident at the Endymion parade.

The Sun Herald has learned that Compretta, son of state Rep. J.P. Compretta, was reportedly riding on a float in the Krewe of Endymion parade. When the float stopped, Compretta got off, thinking the parade had ended. When the sectioned float began to move again, Compretta was knocked down and run over.

No other details are available at this time. Check back to sunherald.com for updates as details become available and in Monday's Sun Herald print edition for the full story.

Carnival parade float driver runs over brother

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Carnival parade float driver runs over brother




Carnival parade float driver runs over brother

2/2/2008, 10:35 p.m. CST The Associated Press

MAKSVILLE, La. (AP) — A 21-year-old driver towing a float in a Carnival parade ran over and killed his 16-year-old brother Saturday evening, state police said.

Clay Michael Sayer was between Kain N. Sayer's pickup truck and the float behind it, talking to riders on the float during a brief stop shortly before 5 p.m., according to a news release from Trooper Scott Moreau.

He said the younger Sayer was pinned by the float when the pickup truck started again.

Kain Sayer was booked with vehicular homicide — killing someone while driving drunk; first-offense drunk driving and careless driving, Moreau said.

The accident occurred about five miles north of the central Louisiana town of Marksville, a town of 5,800 about 75 miles northwest of Baton Rouge.

© 2008 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Report: Parade Death Avoidable

Published: Sunday, January 13, 2008

Report: Parade Death Avoidable

The death of a 9-year-old boy who was run over by a Christmas parade float while throwing candy to onlookers could have been prevented, a report said.
The city report released Friday said Plant City leaders should change the parade rules, that Jordan Hays was too young to walk the parade route, and that officials should consider banning the distribution of beads and candy in parades.

Hays was killed in the Dec. 7 parade as he reached for more candy. His foot was caught by a float's wheel and he was dragged underneath, authorities said.

The report found Hay's death was not caused by spectators crowding the float, but that crowd control has been a problem in the past.

Tragedy at a Parade- 'It All Went in Slow Motion

Published: Monday, December 10, 2007

Tragedy at a Parade- 'It All Went in Slow Motion'

By S.I. ROSENBAUM,
BARBARA BEHRENDT & WILLIAM R. LEVESQUE,

PLANT CITY | On Saturday, Tammy Bridges returned to the place where her young cousin fell.

The sidewalk was empty. Nothing marked the spot except a few candies still scattered on the ground and the flowers from strangers propped against a street pole.

In her mind, she kept seeing Jordan's little body lying broken and lifeless in the street. She couldn't shake the image.

"It all went in slow motion," she said.

Nine-year-old Jordan Hays was crushed and killed as he reached for candy on the Greater Heights Family Worship Center float during the Plant City Christmas parade Friday night.

Jordan, a float participant, had been handing out candy to the crowd.

Plant City police said Saturday they are investigating the incident, but expect no criminal charges to be filed.

"This was the worst outcome of a great event," said Plant City police Lt. Jerry Stwan.

Stwan said the boy was reaching for candy when his feet got caught in the float's wheels. The candy, police said, was on the top of a flatbed trailer, right in front of the wheels, which Stwan said may have contributed to the accident.

It was Jordan's first time in the parade.

The accident happened on Collins Street after the parade halted for a few minutes near the railroad tracks. Jordan's family said people surged forward, trying to grab candy. Jordan, his older brother, Joshua Miller, and Tammy Bridges, 33, were crowded up against the sides of the float.

Then the float started moving again. Jordan's ankle got tangled in the float's axle and wheels. He was pulled under, and the wheels rolled across him, from his legs to his chest.

A police officer and Bridges screamed at the driver, Jordan's cousin Ricky "Bubba" Tarlton. Tarlton, who could not be reached to comment, had hit the brakes.

People shouted at Tarlton to back up. He did, family said. A police officer said in a report he saw the truck back up and run over Jordan a second time, which the family disputes.

Jerry Bridges, 37, Jordan's cousin and Tammy's husband, jumped down from the passenger seat. He performed CPR as Johnny Knotts, who owns a nearby hardware store, held the boy's legs.

Knotts said he and Bridges repeatedly urged the unconscious boy to stay alive, telling him, "Come on, fella! Make it! Make it! We're with you! You're not by yourself!"

Bridges kept performing CPR until rescue workers pulled him away and took over. In the crowd around them, people formed prayer circles.

"I tried to save him," Jerry kept saying to Tammy. A resident of Lake Panasoffkee in Sumter County, just over the Citrus County line, Jordan was a third-grader at Inverness Primary School.

IPS principal Marlise Bushman plans to call the Citrus school district's crisis team into the school today for her staff and her students.

Festival organizers aim for safety

www.news8austin.com


Festival organizers aim for safety
Updated: 1/30/2008 4:36:15 PM
By: Veronica Castelo

Parade safety is a big concern.
Festivals are supposed to be fun, festive and care free.

Former Elgin City Manager Jack Harzke said he never worried about much when he used to help with the annual Western Days Festival.

"Our biggest fear was some kid getting hit by a candy being thrown off the float," Harzke said.

Today, Harzke said it's different.

"In recent times, there have been some sad accidents and some fatal accidents. People are more worried about the liability," Harzke said.

One accident on the minds of Central Texans occurred in Hutto in 2005. A settlement is now being finalized in the case of a 12-year old girl who died after falling off a float during a parade.

Gena Carter is the President of the Elgin Chamber of Commerce. She said reports of injuries at other festivals is one of many reasons organizers in Elgin are now on high alert.

"We want to make sure the participants are safe as well as
the people watching the parade," Carter said.

Carter said other festival organizers are also concerned. Some are doing away with activities that increase liability like skate boarding demonstrations and pony rides.

Some organizers are even paying up to $6,000 for insurance to avoid lawsuits, according to Bill McCrary, the chairperson of the Elgin Chamber of Commerce.

Elgin is turning to its residents for help.

"We're making sure we have enough volunteers to address those
concerns regarding setting up barricades, inspecting floats and
making sure everyone obeys the rules of the parade," McCrary said.

Carter said the city does not currently have enough volunteers.

"We just want to make it a safe event and as it grows and more people come, it's harder to address some of those issues," Carter said.

If people don't step up, Carter said the city will have to make some changes to its lineup. It may mean the 39th Annual
Western Days will be different, but Carter said it will be safe.

Western Days is scheduled for June 24 through the 28. The Chamber of Commerce will hold a meeting for anyone interested in volunteering next Tuesday. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the
Chamber office.

You can also call (512) 285-4515 for more information.

Plant City Commission releases recommendations following parade death

Plant City Commission releases recommendations following parade death


PLANT CITY -- The Plant City Commission has released a review of a 2007 Plant City Christmas Parade accident.

9-year-old Jordan Hays died during the parade on December 7. He was walking alongside a float driven by his cousin when his leg was pulled under by the trailer wheel and he was run over. Four people tried to save Jordan at the scene.

Among the findings in the report, the Commission found Hays' death to be accidental, but preventable. The Commission also found that the float design could have contributed to the accident.

The recommendations include prohibiting the tossing of candy and beads, using more parade marshals, and to begin safety inspections for floats. Another suggestion is to make the parade a day-time event.