CEDARVILLE (KFSM) -- The Cedarville Schools superintendent released surveillance video Wednesday (Sept. 16) that shows how a seven-year-old boy was injured on an under-construction playground at the elementary school.
The video is included below.
Zach Moore was flown to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock after he was severely injured on August 18 when a bench fell on his head, according to an incident report from the Crawford County Sheriff's Office. His parents, Brooke and Josh Moore, said their son suffered multiple skull fractures and swelling of the brain.
On Sept. 10., a judge ordered Superintendent Dan Foreman to release the surveillance video after the family filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit when the school district denied their original FOIA request for the video. Zach's parents said they requested the video so they could show doctors what happened to have a better idea of how to proceed with his treatment.
The surveillance video shows several children playing on the playground just after 6 p.m. on Aug. 18. It shows Zach grabbing a bench that was leaning against a fence before it toppled over on top of him. The bench appears to have extra long leg posts. According to an attorney on the case, the bench weighed 60 to 70 pounds and was eventually going to be put in the ground.
After the bench falls on Zach children can be seen rushing over to see what happened, while others run out of the frame to notify adults who were nearby. Within 20 minutes, an ambulance arrives at the scene and first responders take Zach away on a stretcher.
Brooke Moore released the following statement Wednesday:
"Our lawyer, Chad Atwell, reviewed the video and explained to us what happened.
We are relieved to finally know the truth about what happened the night of [Zach's] accident. We no longer have to play out different scenarios in our heads about what may or may not have happened. We can finally move past that and focus on the future."
Moore has been posting updates about Zach's recovery on Facebook. A post from Tuesday shows Josh Moore helping Zach walk outside the hospital. Brooke Moore writes they are now working with doctors so Zach can start eating foods on a regular basis.
According to the attorney on the case, the school district cannot be held liable for the accident because it was the construction company's responsibility to secure safety on the site. 5NEWS contacted the construction company working on the project Wednesday, but was unable to reach any representatives.
WARNING: Some may find the video difficult to watch.
