Father Grieves Son Killed by Sign at Airport, Says to 'Keep Praying'
The father of a young boy killed after a large airport sign fell on is thankful for the outpouring of support and prayers.
His son, Luke Bressette, 10, was pronounced dead at Children's of Alabama Hospital when an airport sign weighing nearly 400 pounds fell on him and several members of his family as they were returning from a vacation.
"Words cannot describe the pain we feel," Ryan Bresette, Luke's father, wrote Saturday on Facebook. "Thank you all for the love and support. Keep praying and praying and praying."
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The crushing weight of the digital sign killed Luke and left his mother, Heather, in critical condition with two broken ankles and a shattered left pelvis. She is currently in critical condition at a Birmingham hospital, officials stated.
Luke's uncle, Tyler suffered a concussion, and another one of Heather's brothers broke his left leg and nose, Justin Cohen of Children's of Alabama Hospital told CNN.
One eyewitness, Albert Osorio, previously told al.com that he saw the sign fall on the family, describing that there was a loud bang and screaming from the family as well as nearby witnesses. Osorio said that it took him and five others to lift the sign off of the crushed victims.
Authorities have yet to determine what exactly caused the large flight information sign to come crashing down, and are still investigating the accident.
"(Birmingham Airport Authority) President and CEO Al Denson and the staff are continuing to work with officials to investigate," Gaynell Hendricks, the chairwoman of the authority's board, said in a statement. "This includes discussions with contractors, subcontractors that are responsible for the modernization of the ... airport."
The incident happened in a new public area section of the airport which is situated outside of security checkpoints. The area only opened a few weeks ago and features a covered parking deck, children's play area, eating establishments, and a new baggage system, according to WVTM.
