The parents of the woman who died after being struck by a piece of scaffolding outside a Salt Lake City music festival last year have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Ogden construction company that controlled the work site.
Last October, Ava Ahlander, 23, evacuated Redwest, a country music festival taking place at the Utah State Fairpark, because of severe weather conditions. Her car was parked in a nearby lot, next to a Kier Construction Co. site. When she briefly exited her vehicle, she was struck by a wood plank and injured. She died two days later.
In the lawsuit against Kier, filed Wednesday in Utah Third District Court, Ahlander’s parents, Richard Ahlander and Mary Harrison, are seeking relief for claims that include negligence, wrongful death and liability.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ahlander’s parents allege the construction company failed to use reasonable care in operating or maintaining the work site. The music festival is not named in the lawsuit.
Eric Olson, the family’s lawyer, said “construction sites that are in a populated area with people next door, whether it’s walking by on the sidewalk or on a neighboring property, they’ve got to be properly maintained and protected, so that the public doesn’t get hurt.”
Ahlander’s parents are seeking damages, in an amount to be determined at trial, that would include the cost of medical and funeral expenses.
“It’s something that should have never happened and there are code requirements ... that specifically require contractors to take these sort of precautions,” Olson said. “The family doesn’t think this ever should have happened. They don’t ever want it to happen again.”
On Oct. 11, thousands of fans evacuated the Fairpark during Redwest. Ava’s uncle, Bobby, stressed to The Salt Lake Tribune that what happened to Ahlander “didn’t have anything to do with what happened at the festival.”