Five-Year-Old Child Fatally Injured During Windstorm At The Airport

A judge in Madison County, AL, will hold a summary judgement hearing January 4th in a case stemming from the death of a five-year-old boy at an air show in Huntsville in 2008.

The civil suit was filed against the Airport Authority and a rental equipment company after the child was fatally injured by an air conditioning unit which fell on him after a microburst hit the airport grounds during the show. The family of Josiah Miller says the tents and equipment were not properly secured to the ground, and that the airport did not adequately warn about severe weather conditions.

Television Station WAFF reports that The judge may make a decision concerning how the case will proceed at the hearing.

The airport officials named in the suit said that they are immune from claims of liability associated with the performance of their official duties. They also say that there is not enough evidence that the accident occurred because of any act or omission that they should have known could cause an injury. Operations Director Doug Kreulen added that he depended on the National Weather Service for severe weather information, and had halted the show 12 minutes before the microburst hit.

FMI: http://madisoncountyal.gov/courts