Crews Clear O'Hare Of Poorly Maintained Shelters, After Woman's Serious Injury
(CBS) -- A CBS 2 investigation has led to a big change at O'Hare International Airport.
Last week, Dave Savini told you about a young woman left terribly injured when a pedestrian shelter fell on top of her. The city took action Thursday that will help protect others.
One after another, outdoor shelters were removed at O'Hare, part of sweeping safety changes following a report into the structures' shoddy conditions.
One of the shelters fell onto Tierney Darden, crushing her spine and paralyzing her.
"Everyone I know is outraged, and I'm outraged," Tierney's mother, Trudy, says.
She suspected there was something defective about the shelter that toppled over on her daughter during a storm but had no idea there were so many dilapidated shelters throughout the terminals until CBS 2 documented it. Her reaction is anger.
"I expect people to do their jobs and therefore somebody did not do their job, and because they didn't do their job my daughter is now permanently disabled," she says.
The family is suing the city of Chicago and the Department of Aviation for negligence. It took at least 4 people to lift the shelter off Tierney.
Tayah Minniefield says she watched her sister get crushed by the defective shelter and then watched in disbelief as CBS 2 exposed more just like it. She believes her sister would not have been injured if these shelters had been maintained.
Savini spoke with Tierney Darden on Thursday. She is battling this life-changing injury the best she can. She was happy to hear the city has finally taken all the shelters down so nobody else will be hurt by them.
The airport commissioner has yet to comment to CBS 2. The family is struggling to pay Tierney's medical bills and have set up a GoFundMe page.
