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5d ago

Family Sues After 3-Year-Old Crushed by Park Monument in Walla Walla

Plaintiffs say the memorial was top-heavy, inadequately supported, and lacked warning signs, a claim that raises questions about contractor and supplier liability.

Image
An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Kaleb Ortega, 3, sits on the grass with a rocky and leafy background, Image 2 shows Kaleb Ortega, 3, kissing his mother on the cheek next to a black piñata shaped like a truck, Image 3 shows Monument dedicated to Captain Albert Harold Rooks in Rooks Park, Walla Walla, Washington

Overview

  • A large stone memorial fell and fatally crushed 3-year-old Kaleb Ortega at Rooks Park, with the complaint saying the monument collapsed "in a matter of seconds".
  • The family filed a wrongful-death suit on May 12 that names multiple contractors, suppliers and an individual, and court papers show the defendants have been served.
  • Kaleb’s mother, a nurse who was on shift when her son arrived by ambulance, is pursuing damages for bystander emotional distress after witnessing resuscitation efforts.
  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers fenced and temporarily closed the park after the April 1 incident and the memorial was later removed for safety reasons.
  • The case is in its early litigation stage, the family has raised community funds through GoFundMe, and the lawsuit could determine who is responsible for the memorial’s design, installation and upkeep.