Atlanta's Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel Sued By Family Of Boy Crushed To Death By Rotating Restaurant

The parents of 5-year-old Charlie Holt, who died after being trapped and crushed in a "pinch point" at a rotating restaurant in Atlanta, are suing for negligence. Rebecca and Michael Holt made claims that the Sun Dial Restaurant located within the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel did not provide the necessary protective precautions to prevent children from being trapped in what they referred to as "pinch points" between restaurant booths and the wall as well as no way to stop the restaurant's rotation in an emergency situation.

The family was visiting Atlanta from Charlotte with their two children in April of this year. After visiting the Georgia Aquarium, they went to the Peachtree Plaza to have lunch and were seated on the rotating platform. Their son became trapped when they got up to leave. He eventually died at the hospital from his wounds.

The restaurant is owned by Marriott International, which the family names in the suit, along with subsidiary Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, several employees, and some architects involved in a renovation of the restaurant, reports the Washington Post. "If Marriott had acted responsibly in the face of this known safety hazard, this tragedy would have been prevented," Joe Fried, the family's attorney, said in a statement. "Marriott should not have waited for this tragedy before acting to correct this hazard, especially while it held itself out as a safe place for kids."