By: Hollie Hojek
hhojek@kcautv.com
It's only a matter of time before the green hills at Grandview Park are covered in plush white snow, perfect for sledding. But as we wait for the snow to fall, the City of Sioux City is concerned about safety. In 2008, a local man was seriously injured sledding, after he slid backwards down a hill and hit a parking sign. He suffered serious spinal cord injuries.
"It was a horrible situation for the man, but I think he took on that responsibility when he went down the hill. He probably should have had someone watching him go down the hill," said Sandy Egdorf of Hinton, IA.
The victim ended up suing the City of Sioux City in 2010, as part of a $2.75 million lawsuit. Because the city is currently held responsible, it was forced to pay nearly $480,000 -in damages.
"That's a lot of money out of the city's budget," said Rhonda Capron, city council member.
Since then, the city has been trying to change the law so it cannot be held accountable for any sledding accidents on city property. There's already a law in place that holds people personally accountable for injuries that happen when bicycling or skateboarding, and other similar actives. And now, the city wants sledding added to that list.
"We feel people need to be responsible for themselves also. The city can't pay every time some type of action happens. It shouldn't be our responsibility for everything," said Capron.
The city says another major issue is the type of sleds kids are using these days. Inner tubes slide much faster down these hills than the average plastic sled.
Right now sledding is only allowed at two designated areas in Sioux City, Grandview Park and Sertoma Park.
