The family of a three-year-old boy who tragically lost his life in a playground accident has initiated legal action to claim emotional damages.
Kaleb Ortega sustained fatal injuries when a structure struck him on April 1 at Rooks Park in Walla Walla, situated in southern Washington State near the Oregon border.
According to the lawsuit, Kaleb, accompanied by his father and five-year-old sister, was at the park when the monument collapsed swiftly and crushed him. First responders quickly transported him to the hospital, where his mother, a nurse, was on duty. Sadly, he passed away at the hospital.
His grieving parents, Claudia and Miguel Garcia, have filed a lawsuit against various companies involved in constructing the monument, alleging emotional damages due to the unsafe nature of the landmark.
Rooks Park, where the tragic incident occurred, is a public recreational area in Walla Walla County managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The monument was a tribute to Captain Albert H. Rooks and the USS Houston CA-30.
Following Kaleb’s demise, the park was closed for two weeks to prevent similar incidents and out of respect for those affected.
A GoFundMe page was created to describe the incident, stating that what began as a joyful day turned tragic with Kaleb’s untimely passing.
The lawsuit, filed in Walla Walla County Superior Court, names several companies as defendants, alleging negligence in the monument’s design or lack of proper warnings.
The family is seeking emotional damages for the distress experienced by Kaleb’s father and sister at the scene and his mother at the hospital.
The defendants have not yet responded to the lawsuit filed by the family.