Raleigh will not host Christmas parade after last year’s deadly collision

RALEIGH — Raleigh will not host its annual Christmas parade this year.

The decision comes one year after an 11-year-old girl was hit and killed while performing in the parade.

The city says it made the decision out of an abundance of caution and out of respect for the Hailey Brooks’ family.

Raleigh is now exploring other options for a holiday event.

On Thursday, the Brooks’ attorney, Jason Miller of Raleigh-based Miller Monroe and Plyler, said the family disagrees with the decision to cancel the parade, WRAL reported.

“The Brooks family is disappointed that the City of Raleigh chose to cancel its 2023 Raleigh Christmas Parade rather than adopt basic safety measures to protect the community,” Miller wrote. “The city did not reach out to the family before making this decision. If consulted, the Brooks family would have urged the city to proceed with the parade after implementing basic, common-sense safety protocols that should have been in place in 2022, such as those proposed in the Shine Like Hailey Parade Safety Act. It has been 10 months since Hailey Brooks was killed, and it is time for the city to honor her by enacting protections for the safety of this community – not by canceling the parade.”

VIDEO: Young girl dies after being hit by out-of-control truck in Raleigh Christmas parade; driver charged

Young girl dies after being hit by out-of-control truck in Raleigh Christmas parade; driver charged

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