Judge signals Raleigh stays in Hailey Brooks parade lawsuit

A Wake County judge found Raleigh was acting in a proprietary role, not a protected governmental one, while it helped stage the 2022 Raleigh Christmas Parade.

Judge Bryan Collins did not issue a final signed order, but his memorandum directed the family’s lawyers to draft one rejecting Raleigh’s bid for dismissal. The parade drew about 60,000 to 65,000 spectators along the route and more than 250,000 viewers on TV and streaming.

Hailey Brooks, 11, was killed on Nov. 19, 2022, near Hillsborough Street and North Boylan Avenue in downtown Raleigh when the parade route was hit by a crash involving Landen Glass. The parade was the 78th annual Raleigh Christmas Parade, presented by Shop Local Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association. The Brooks family filed suit in 2023 and later added the City of Raleigh.

The city had argued it should not face liability because parade planning and crowd control were part of a governmental function and because it could not legally control Glass’s actions. Collins concluded instead that Raleigh had extensive operational control over every aspect of the parade and financially benefited from it more than it spent. The city remains in the case as the Brooks family pursues claims tied to parade planning, safety review, barriers and crowd management.

In November 2025, Glass pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of justice, misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and carrying a dangerous weapon at a parade. Wake County Judge Paul Ridgeway sentenced him to a total of 262 days of confinement and probation.

The trial moved from August 2025 to May 1, 2026, and later docket entries pushed it further into 2026, with one reference pointing to Nov. 9.

Raleigh changed its parade rules after Brooks’ death. The city barred motorized vehicles from the 2023 parade, then adopted a 2024 policy allowing them again with new age requirements for drivers, vehicle inspections within 30 days of the event and a mandatory waiver for participants. Brooks’ family also created the Shine Like Hailey Foundation in 2023 to honor her memory through scholarships and youth opportunities.