Family sues after child, 5, killed in rotating restaurant

ATLANTA – The family of a 5-year-old boy killed when he became caught in a rotating Atlanta restaurant is suing the company, saying it failed to prevent a “longstanding safety hazard.”

The lawsuit comes after Charlie Holt died in the Sun Dial, a restaurant atop the 73-story Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the child and his parents were visiting Atlanta from Charlotte, North Carolina, when he became caught between a wall and table as the dining room rotated April 14.

The lawsuit says the restaurant had no protections to stop children from getting close to a dangerous area, or to stop the floor’s rotation if a child became trapped.

Jeff Flaherty, a spokesman for parent firm Marriott International Inc., told the newspaper the company had no comment.

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Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com