Man tied to girl’s death in 2022 Raleigh Christmas Parade sentenced to prison
By Lora Lavigne and Shaun Gallagher
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North Carolina (WRAL) — The man charged in the death of a child during the 2022 Raleigh Christmas Parade will serve time in prison, in addition to community service.
Landen Glass was behind the wheel of an out-of-control pickup truck that hit and killed 11-year-old Hailey Brooks during the parade.
On Friday, Glass pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, death by motor vehicle and having a dangerous weapon at the parade.
Glass then faced sentencing, with victim impact statements from Brooks’ family.
‘She had no idea what was coming’ “Landen, no punishment I would feel to be sufficient for killing my daughter,” said Hailey ‘s mother, April Brooks, said Friday. “The only thing I want is to have sweet Hailey back.”
“Look at the joy and pure innocence on her face,” April Brooks continued. “She had no idea what was coming.”
Hailey’s aunt Heather addressed Glass, saying, “You are not defined by this moment in time; however, you do have a choice in how you allow it to shape your future here on earth and, most importantly, for eternity.”
Court resumed Monday morning with Hailey’s father, Trey Brooks, sharing two videos of his daughter’s last performances with her dance company.
Trey Brooks thanked first responders for working to try to save Hailey on the parade route. He then remembered the day Hailey was born, remembering the dreams he had for her. He then recalled the day of the parade, dropping her off and then finding out someone had been hurt during the event.
“Our grief is indescribable,” Trey Brooks said, recalling that the family didn’t drive for weeks following the incident. He described moments of PTSD and guilt.
Judge Paul Ridgeway sentenced Glass to:
75-day sentence in Wake County Jail for a misdemeanor charge of death by vehicle in Wake County Jail 45-day sentence in Wake County Jail for a misdemeanor charge of carrying a firearm in a parade in Wake County Jail 8-to-19 month sentence for an obstruction charge to be served in the Department of Adult Corrections and go into effect at the conclusion of the prior two sentences. Required 400 hours of community service Part of the ruling determined that the Brooks family will take over ownership of the truck Glass was driving during the parade, a 2011 GMC Sierra 2500. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman believes the family will have the truck destroyed.
“It was important to the family that this truck be taken off the road to ensure it cannot harm anyone else,” Freeman told WRAL News.
Ridgeway said he hopes the verdict serves as a teaching moment for Glass as a young man. Glass was 20 at the time of the accident.
“I hope that you commit today to use this moment in your life to commit to live your life in a way that would honor Hailey’s life,” Ridgeway said to Glass.
Glass offers an apology Glass’ attorney, Roger Smith, said Glass had no criminal record other than inspection violations on the truck driven in the parade, which played a crucial role in the tragedy. Glass has been on electronic monitoring for most of the three years since the accident.
“From the bottom of my heart, how terribly sorry I am to Mr. and Mrs. Brooks and the rest of the family,” Glass said in a statement to the court. “I know there are no words I can say that would truly tell you how sorry I am…I’ve never had any intentions to hurt Hailey…I want you to know that I do take responsibility for my actions and I am sorry for all the pain and sadness that I caused you.”
Glass had ties to the parade and the dance group that Hailey was a part of. He was a dancer with CC& Company for five years as a boy. He and his family would routinely drive from their hometown of Goode, Virginia, to Raleigh to perform routines and classes with the group.
“I do not believe you intentionally took Hailey’s life that day, but I do believe you selfishly disobeyed the law and Hailey’s life and liberty was taken from her as a result,” Trey Brooks said.
Brooks’ family did not speak to reporters after the proceedings. A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family will not go to trial until 2026.
An attorney said that in the coming weeks, Trey and April will likely be speaking more about the legislation they’re working on that would increase safety procedures at parades across the state. The Shine Like Hailey Parade Safety Act, introduced in 2023, would bring on state-enforced safety requirements for operating a parade vehicle.
What took so long? Almost exactly three years to the date of the 2022 parade, a verdict was reached, but not before plenty of agony, questions and ruminating for everyone involved.
Freeman spoke to how difficult laying the groundwork for a case of this magnitude was for prosecutors and investigators. She said the sentence Glass received was about the same length as he would have received for involuntary manslaughter. Recreating the circumstances was a complex and intricate process.
“Going back and doing the reconstruction in these types of accidents, you know, takes a tremendous amount of work,” she said. “There was a lot of investigation involved here, a lot of investigation regarding the defendant’s prior record and then working with the family to get to a resolution that they felt was appropriate and that we could obtain without having to go through a trial took some time.”
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