Family Sues Over Stampede Death

The family of a 19-year-old man who died while camping at the 2010 Country Stampede festival in Manhattan, Kan., has filed suit seeking at least $75,000 from the fest, the state’s Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and a security company.

Kristina and Mark Kreutzer allege the defendants were negligent and breached their duty by failing to come to the timely aid of their son, by having inadequate emergency medical personnel on staff and by failing to properly hire and train security staff, according to court documents obtained by the Manhattan Mercury.

Security staffers allegedly found Jacob Kreutzer alone, leaning against a trailer in the early-morning hours of June 24, 2010.

However, despite the fact that “he was in obvious severe distress and in need of emergency medical attention,” the staffers failed to help him or otherwise seek assistance, “leaving him alone near where they found him,” the suit says.

The security staffers returned to the campground about an hour later with local sheriff’s officers and emergency medical services were called, the Mercury said. Kreutzer was transported to a local hospital, where he died, and the Shawnee County coroner listed the cause of the teen’s death as an “unexplained internal injury.”

Though the teen had hemophilia, the coroner reportedly noted the medical condition didn’t likely contribute to his death. The teen was also found to have a blood alcohol level of .20 at the time, though the suit claims “alcohol consumption did not contribute to his death.”