Alabama airport sign falls on family, killing boy
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - A sign at the Birmingham airport fell on a family Friday, killing a 10-year boy and injuring other family members.
Deputy Coroner Derrick Perryman said 10-year-old Luke Bresette was pronounced dead at Children's of Alabama. Two other children were being treated there, and the mother, Heather Bresette, was taken to University Hospital, where spokeswoman Nicole Wyatt said she was in critical condition. The coroner's office and the hospital did not disclose the family's hometown.
Firefighters estimated the arrival-departure sign weighed 300 to 400 pounds.
Albert Osorio, 46, of Birmingham told al.com that he was close by when the sign fell. He said a loud boom was followed by screams from the family and witnesses. Then he and five other passers-by lifted off the sign.
"The whole thing flipped down on those kids. It took all of us here to stand it up," he said.
Airport spokeswoman Toni Herrera-Bast said officials aren't sure how the sign fell. She said it happened about 1:30 p.m. Friday in a pre-security area of the airport. The airport continued operating while rescue workers tended to the family.
The airport completed the first phase of a more than $201 million modernization effort and opened newly renovated concourses last week.
Mayor William Bell issued a statement saying the city offered its full support to the Airport Authority in investigating the accident.
Deputy Coroner Derrick Perryman said 10-year-old Luke Bresette was pronounced dead at Children's of Alabama. Two other children were being treated there, and the mother, Heather Bresette, was taken to University Hospital, where spokeswoman Nicole Wyatt said she was in critical condition. The coroner's office and the hospital did not disclose the family's hometown.
Firefighters estimated the arrival-departure sign weighed 300 to 400 pounds.
Albert Osorio, 46, of Birmingham told al.com that he was close by when the sign fell. He said a loud boom was followed by screams from the family and witnesses. Then he and five other passers-by lifted off the sign.
"The whole thing flipped down on those kids. It took all of us here to stand it up," he said.
Airport spokeswoman Toni Herrera-Bast said officials aren't sure how the sign fell. She said it happened about 1:30 p.m. Friday in a pre-security area of the airport. The airport continued operating while rescue workers tended to the family.
The airport completed the first phase of a more than $201 million modernization effort and opened newly renovated concourses last week.
Mayor William Bell issued a statement saying the city offered its full support to the Airport Authority in investigating the accident.
@ DTÂ
Being the Flight information administrator for a local airport, I have seen people punch the screens, pull on the housings, and do all sorts of idiotic things, but do you really think that the kids were capable of pulling that thing over? If so it had to be teetering on the verge of falling for quite some time. It took 5 people to lift it off, that would put it somewhere around 800 lbs.
Oh and they should pay out, that was sheer negligence for the housing to fall. Either the moorings were incorrectly attached, or they were never attached at all.
@ Swamp Thing: That is what insurance is for... do you think they just operate on good faith? Major airport have over a billion dollars in assets moving around on the tarmac.. they are insured like nobody's business.
Really sad, and so random. Â I imagine that it was not secured properly during the renovation, and the kids were being kids and pulling and pushing on it. Â
man, life can change in an instant. poor family.
now, the airport will be lucky to stay open once the family is done with them....
@SwampThing Yeah, because nothing says loving like 100 million dollars or so.  Only in America do we think that millions of dollars is a great way to deal with grief.Â
How horrible and heartbreaking! I hope the other family members pull through and the airport re-secures all their signs. I can't even imagine...
Wow! What a horrible thing...