The family of Emma Riddle, a 6-year-old girl who died after an electric go-kart incident at Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park in Port St. Lucie, filed a wrongful death lawsuit July 20 against the company and is requesting a jury trial.
Just before 9 p.m. Dec. 6, police were called to the trampoline park and the girl was taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, where she died Dec. 7.
Police at the time noted in a report that park employees advised a child, from the Fort Pierce area, was hit from behind on an electric go-kart and was bleeding from the nose and vomiting blood.
The girl’s parents allege that Urban Air created the dangerous conditions that contributed to Emma’s death, according to a news release from Morgan & Morgan, an injury law firm representing Steve Riddle Jr. and Brenda Horrutinier Montelie.
What happened to Emma Riddle?
In December 2025, Emma Riddle went to Urban Air with her mother and sister. Emma was in a double-seat go-kart with her mom, while her sister was in a separate single rider go-kart.
At one point, the double-seat go-kart accelerated to a high speed and crashed into the track wall, according to a news release from Morgan & Morgan.
Following the incident, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services conducted investigations of the go-kart ride and found multiple violations of Florida’s amusement ride safety laws, according to the law firm.
“Urban Air has a duty to protect every child that walks through their doors, and we allege that they failed Emma in the most devastating way imaginable,” Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan stated in the news release.
The complaint alleges the defendants had speed settings for the go-karts at levels meant for adults, and used the same levels with children, regardless of age or size. It also alleges the height requirement signs were inconsistent with the ride manufacturer’s own safety standards and omitted the manufacturer’s minimum age recommendation.
The manufacturer’s recommendations says riders must be at least 60 inches tall and 18 years old. Emma, at 50 inches tall, was nearly a foot shorter and 12 years younger than the manufacturer’s recommendations, but was still allowed to ride.
“Our lawsuit alleges that Urban Air’s decisions, in contrast to state laws, manufacturer recommendations, and their own internal policies, led to the dangerous conditions that cost Emma her life,” Morgan & Morgan attorney Thomas Hasty stated in the news release.
The lawsuit, filed in the 17th Judicial Circuit in Broward County, seeks a jury trial and judgment in excess of $50,000.
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida family files wrongful death lawsuit against Urban Air
Reporting by Olivia Franklin, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Olivia Franklin, Treasure Coast Newspapers | USA TODAY Network
