The Raleigh City Council has approved new parade rules to take effect on Monday, prompted by a young girl's death at the 2022 Raleigh Christmas Parade.
2022 Raleigh Christmas Parade
The morning of the parade, 11-year-old Hailey Brooks was killed when a pickup truck towing a float lost control and plowed through a group of young dancers.
The driver, 20-year-old Landen Glass, was arrested and initially charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, careless and reckless driving, improper equipment, unsafe movement and carrying a firearm in a parade. In April 2023, his charges were elevated to felony involuntary manslaughter.
A lawsuit filed by the girl’s family alleged that Glass had multiple vehicle violations in Virginia, missed vehicle inspections before the parade, removed the emergency brake from the truck, incorrectly replaced brake fluid with steering fluid and failed to try and avoid hitting the dancers.
Initial rule changes
In March 2023, the city implemented new safety regulations: drivers had to be at least 21 years old, no alcohol or firearms were allowed in vehicles and minors had to be accompanied by an adult. Additionally, the city required a current inspection and the license and registration for all drivers and vehicles.
In September, Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said the city wouldn’t grant a special event permit for the 2023 Christmas parade, out of an abundance of caution and respect for the Brooks family.
The Brooks family spoke out against the decision, saying they were not consulted about it and would have urged the council to implement more safety measures instead of canceling the parade.
One of the parade organizers, the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association, was also unhappy with the decision, and a spokesperson for the organization pointed out that the city had authorized other parades after Brooks’ death.
The city then rolled back its decision, finding a compromise with the association that the parade wouldn’t be canceled but would not include motorized vehicles.
New rules
Last week, the city council announced city staff had spent the last year and a half evaluating the rules and considering changes and they now believed that with enhanced regulations, parades with motorized vehicles could resume. They provided the public with a presentation outlining the changes and asked for feedback from the public.
On Tuesday, the council voted unanimously to adopt the changes.
Here’s four things to know about the new rules.
- All entries must provide a valid driver's license with no moving violations, and evidence the operator is trained and that the vehicle is appropriate for the assigned float.
- Vehicles need a safety check within 30 days of the event, and the inspection must include a current registration, operation of the brakes, tires, lights, horn and emissions.
- Event organizers must conduct an assessment to identify the most likely risks or those that would have the greatest impact on participants, and hold meetings with participants before the event.
- Organizers have to have a safety acknowledgment for each driver, submit an official lineup of parade entries to the city and ensure all motorized vehicles fulfill an inspections checklist before leaving the staging area.
