Civil Trial Under Way In Kennywood Storm Death

POSTED: 4:01 pm EDT July 18, 2007
UPDATED: 5:54 pm EDT July 18, 2007

PITTSBURGH -- Five years after a roof collapsed at Kennywood Park, killing a 29-year old Monroeville woman, her family took the stand in a civil trial.

Singing a hymn after testifying on Wednesday, it was a day filled with emotion for the family of Stephanie Wilkerson.

Wilkerson had been under a wooden pavilion sheltering the Whip when a macroburst roared through the area. The heavy winds forced the pavilion roof to collapse, injuring dozens.

Wilkerson died after she was pinned between the roof and a wrought iron fence.

Day three of the civil trial against Kennywood and Landau Building Construction, the company that built the pavilion, saw Wilkerson's mother and father take the stand.

Neither parent spoke of the incident directly. They focused on their love for their daughter.

When asked what her daughter meant to her, Helen Wilkerson replied, "She was my lady. She was my love. She was my heart."

Moments later, Wilkinson's father, Sylvester, told the court his daughter was his "princess."

Wilkerson was at the park with relatives. They were waiting in line for a ride called the Exterminator when Wilkerson decided to get a book to read while waiting. She was under the wooden pavilion when it shifted and then collapsed.

The trial is to determine compensatory damages. If a jury awards Wilkerson's estate a sum of money, a second trial with a new jury will determine how much of the award each defendant is required to pay. The second trial would also determine punitive damages.

Judge Stanton Wettick ordered the parties involved not to discuss the case with the media until it is complete. The defense is presenting its case Wednesday afternoon. Closing arguments could be heard Thursday, and the jury could have a verdict on Friday.

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