Family sues after child, 5, killed in rotating Atlanta restaurant

November 18, 2017 at 3:39 p.m. | Updated November 18, 2017 at 3:40 p.m.

by Associated Press

The Westin hotel at left rises above downtown buildings in Atlanta, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016. An exit button inside the Westin hotel where a worker was found dead failed to work during an inspection, trapping multiple people who had to beat on the door to alert someone to let them out, a medical examiner found. The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office has amended its autopsy for Carolyn Mangham to include the new details about the freezer exit button at the Westin Peachtree Plaza. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
The Westin hotel at left rises above downtown buildings in Atlanta, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016. An exit button inside the Westin hotel where a worker was found dead failed to work during an inspection, trapping multiple people who had to beat on the door to alert someone to let them out, a medical examiner found. The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office has amended its autopsy for Carolyn Mangham to include the new details about the freezer exit button at the Westin Peachtree Plaza. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

ATLANTA (AP) - 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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