Plant City remembers boy

Officials want to know how the 9-year-old was crushed by a parade float.

By ANDREW MEACHAM and ABBIE VANSICKLE, Times Staff Writers
Published December 11, 2007

A memorial sits at the corner of Collins St. and Laura St. in Plant City, dedicated to the nine-year-old boy who died during Friday evening's Christmas parade.
	[Ross Mantle | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT Jordan Hays, 9, made everyone laugh, his family says. [Special to the Times]

PLANT CITY - Mayor Rick Lott recalled the beautiful and tragic night. The stars were out Friday; the weather, perfect. One could see joy on the faces of kids and parents, all along the parade route.

Jordan Hays, 9, was among them, passing out candy from a float.

"And, then, in the blink of an eye," said Lott, "we were reminded just how fragile and how precious life is."

Jordan, a spirited Lake Panasoffkee boy, had been crushed and killed by a float in Plant City's Christmas parade.

City leaders vowed Monday that it must never happen again.

The city manager, David Sollenberger, said at a City Commission meeting Monday night that he had launched an inquiry and would report back to the commission in January.

"Let's get to the bottom of it," he said.

The police chief, Bill McDaniel, was also investigating. "I have a lot of questions," he said.

The minister from the church that sponsored the float raised questions about crowd control.

Senior pastor Joe Kelley of Greater Heights Family Worship Center wondered if there were enough barricades at this year's parade.

"This is the first time we've had a float in the parade in three years," he said. "I know Plant City has grown tremendously. There were just so many people it was just unreal."

McDaniel, the police chief, said there were barricades in congested parts of the route. He said he has attended the parade for more than 20 years and did not believe the crowd was unusual.

"I have no information that the crowd was a factor in this accident," he said.

No one has been cited in the incident, which happened at 8:14 p.m. Friday. The float was driven by Jordan's cousin, Ricky Tarlton, 33, of Plant City.

Jordan didn't attend Greater Heights, but his cousin organized youth group events at the church.

"The boy was running between the float and the crowd, distributing candy," McDaniel said. "He ran back to the float and his foot got caught in the wheel well. The second wheel was on top of the boy when the crowd yelled at them to stop.

"Unfortunately, the driver then backed up and the first wheel ran again over the boy," McDaniel said.

Jordan died at 8:55 p.m. at South Florida Baptist Hospital in Plant City, police said.

The pastor said Tarlton is trying to deal with the death.

"Ricky is doing better - having a hard time sleeping," Kelley said.

At Inverness Primary School, Jordan's classmates knew him as "the entertainer."

On Monday, his third-grade classmates spent the morning remembering him. Principal Marlise Bushman and Jordan's teachers, Hildi Bunce and Holly Herndon, helped students write letters and draw pictures for Jordan's family.

"Jordan had a contagious joy," Herndon said.

Kelley released a statement by the family.

"He was our little comedian with intentions of making everyone that he came into contact with giggle and laugh out loud," it read. "Everyone that he met loved him dearly. It was impossible to know Jordan without loving him."

The family has set up a foundation in Jordan's memory. Called Jordan's Wish, it is set up to donate toys for needy children. To donate, drop off toys at Knott's Hardware in Plant City.

His parents, Jerry and Connie Hays, also have a fund set up in their names at Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union to pay burial expenses.

Viewing will be 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Chas. E. Davis Funeral Home, 3075 S. Florida Ave., Inverness. The funeral will be 11 a.m. Friday at the Floral City Methodist Church, 8480 E Marvin St.,Floral City.

Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report. Abbie VanSickle can be reached at vansickle@sptimes.com or 813-226-3373.

[Last modified December 10, 2007, 23:42:04]