Annapolis adopts new parade rules after Fourth of July death

Seven-year old Kyle Aldridge's death during last summer's Independence Day Parade has led Annapolis to tighten its safety rules.

Sunday's St. Patrick's Day Parade, which will start at 1 p.m., is the second under the city's new rules.

Annapolis faces a $2 million wrongful death claim filed by Aldridge's mother against the city, the mayor's office and the Annapolis Police Department.

Assistant City Attorney Gary Elson said the city was not at fault, but he sympathizes with Aldridge's family.

"At the same time, we're confident the city exercised utmost care and caution," Elson said.

An attorney representing Kara Spivey, Aldridge's mother, could not be reached for comment.

Aldridge died during last year's Fourth of July parade when he fell off a trailer float for iWheelie, a motorcycle wheelie machine simulator. The trailer was being pulled by a van driven by Aldridge's grandfather. No one was charged with any crimes in Aldridge's death.

According to the city police Traffic Safety Unit, a 10-year old relative of Aldridge's got off the float and told Aldridge to get off. Aldridge fell and was run over by one of the float's tires.

The Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's Office did not file charges against Jason Bernard Hicks, the driver of the float, and pronounced the case closed on Oct. 3.

Joseph B. Espo, partner at the Baltimore law firm Brown, Goldstein and Levy, filed a wrongful death claim against the city on Spivey's behalf on Oct. 4.

The city and the police department "were negligent in failing to provide or require proper supervision of the parade participants and in failing to make sure that young children were not left unsupervised on moving floats," according to the claim.

Spivey has not filed a lawsuit against the city or the police department, according to state case search records. The $2 million claim, Elson said, preserves the family's right to file a personal injury lawsuit for up to three years.

Twenty-four new rules, ranging from requirements for vehicle maintenance to a ban on alcohol on parade vehicles, were drafted by the city's Office of Law after the incident. Previously, only the requirements listed in the city's special event applications regulated parade safety.

The rules are scheduled to be adopted by the City Council this spring. For now, float operators must complete an application before events and each person on the float must sign a sheet acknowledging reading the safety rules.

"Children under 13 years of age shall be in constant adult supervision during the parade, and shall remain seated at all times when the vehicle is running," according to the new rules.

The St. Patrick's Day parade is the second in Annapolis under the new procedures. Participants in the Dec. 27 Military Bowl parade were also required to follow the rules.

John O'Leary, founder of St. Patrick's Day Parade organizer Warrior Events, welcomed the new procedures. O'Leary worked with acting City Attorney Timothy Murnane and Felicia Karavellas, the city's special projects coordinator, to organize this Sunday's event.

About 70 floats will take part in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, up from 54 last year. The number of people in the parade has doubled, O'Leary said, adding to the logistical challenges and parade costs.

Warrior Events paid the city $596 in transportation costs and $1,980 in police overtime salaries in 2013. The Annapolis-based nonprofit will pay approximately $5,300 in city fees this year due to the increased size of the parade, O'Leary said.

He expects a profit of $14,000 due to parade sponsorships, despite the extra costs.

Originally, parade organizers feared losing money on this year's event due to increased insurance requirements that O'Leary said were proposed by the city.

The city eventually lowered its insurance requirements, O'Leary said, and Warrior Events will pay $300 in parade insurance. Annapolis' special events application and agreement requires $1 million in per-person coverage and $2 million per occurrence.

O'Leary attributed the insurance confusion to the transition in city government last fall.

"Hopefully, through my working with the city, the next group that does this has it much easier," he said.

The St. Patrick's Day Parade will start at Westgate Circle near Taylor Avenue before going up West Street, around Church Circle and down Main Street. It will end at City Dock.

This is the second year Warrior Events has hosted a St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown Annapolis.