DETROIT (WXYZ) — The state-run giant slide at Belle Isle Park is back in the spotlight after the filing of a new lawsuit.
A Detroit mother says her two young children suffered serious injuries after taking a rough ride. She claims the state and the city failed to keep her kids safe.
“If you were just a regular kid you, definitely were going to bang yourself up,” said parent Kenyatta McCadney, who is not involved in the lawsuit but says his own children had minor injuries.
Videos of the ride also became a viral sensation.
“I knew that somebody probably got hurt. Based on what we were seeing there. We were going to take our daughter to the hospital because she was complaining about being sore,” McCadney added.
The new lawsuit blasts the city and state for allegedly not using enough safety precautions. The 40-foot steel slide has been around for years but parents say last summer, it was traveling much faster than they recalled.
Attorney Raquel Munoz represents the Detroit mother who filed a suit for her young kids.
“I have two children. I would definitely be upset if my 14-year-old was telling me I can’t play sports right now, do track and football,” Munoz said.
The lawsuit alleges they suffered concussions, that prevent them from playing sports and they bumped their heads after going airborne.
“People managing the park had a duty to tell the patrons how to ride the slide, if there was already issues with it they knew about. Before the slide opened to the general public, employees were riding the slide and bouncing off of it,” Munoz said.
The family is suing for more than $25,000. Steps have been taken to slow down the slide since it first opened last summer.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has declined comment. The park manager has not yet responded to our request for comment.
“Everyone had their phones out. It was definitely a problem. I don’t understand how they let them ride it,” McCadney said.
For now, the city of Detroit is not commenting, except to say they should not be part of the lawsuit since the park and slide are run by the state.
The attorney filing the suit says they hope to appear in court in several weeks.
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