CONYERS - The parents of a toddler struck and killed by a falling tree limb at a Rockdale County park have sued the county. <br>
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Jerry and Pepper Helms accuse county officials of knowing that the limb and several others in Pine Log Park were dead and posed a hazard to park visitors, according to the Rockdale Citizen on Tuesday. <br>
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Hannah Elizabeth Helms, 2 1/2 years old at the time, died of head injuries April 2001, one week after she was hurt at Pine Log Park. Authorities said the girl was playing with her mother when a pine tree limb snapped and fell on them. Pepper Helms was treated for leg injuries. Hannah underwent brain surgery. <br>
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County officials closed the park three weeks after the child's death to remove at least two trees and trim several others, the newspaper reported. <br>
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The girl's parents seek more than $200,000 in medical expenses, $5,000 in funeral costs and compensation for pain and suffering. <br>
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They also seek payment for the wrongful death of their daughter ``in an amount to be determined by the enlightened conscience of a jury as well as ... lost wages and other general damages,'' the lawsuit stated. <br>
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County officials have not responded to the suit.
