Thursday morning the mother of 29-year-old Kiersten Smith, who was killed in a deadly crane collapse in Dallas nearly four years ago, was emotional as she told the courtroom about who her daughter and the day she found out she was killed.
On June 9, 2019, a crane collapsed during a summer storm and sliced into Elan City Lights, a five-story apartment building in Old East Dallas. The collapse killed Smith, injured five others and left 500 residents looking for a new place to live.
Smith's mother, Michelle Williams, said her daughter's fiancé told her to come to the hospital, that something had happened. She would then learn the fate of her daughter.
Through tears, she spoke to the courtroom about being a mother to Smith and always wanting to protect her daughter. Williams said after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, her daughter supported her through the tough times.
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They were both excited about Smith's upcoming wedding and had seen each other the day before the incident.
The court also heard a home recording of Smith singing 'Stay' by Rihanna.
"My hope is that y'all (the jury) make them understand Kiersten mattered to me and to so many other people," said Williams to the jury when asked by her attorney what she wanted to say.
Williams, along with her daughter's father, are suing Greystar, the company for the apartment that was under construction, and Bigge Crane and Rigging.
Lawyers for the family allege gross negligence on the part of the crane company, Bigge Crane and Rigging, and Greystar, the company that rented the crane to build new apartments next door to the Elan City Lights.
At the time of the collapse, there was a storm that produced wind gusts up to 71 mph and even shattered windows of high-rise buildings and tore trees apart in the area.
Attorneys for the family said a crane like the one that tumbled over should have been able to withstand the high winds, and claim the companies did not follow weather protocol
During opening statements last week, Bigge's lawyers told the jury that they only rented out the equipment, and contracts with Greystar would have made the real estate company responsible for inspections and oversight.
Meanwhile, Greystar attorneys argued that Bigge was responsible because the operator was employed under Bigge. The Crane company claims Greystar "borrowed" the operator, which would have made them in control.
Robert Hilty, the crane operator, also took the stand Thursday afternoon. He told the courtroom he took the steps to weathervane the crane before he left for the weekend. That means allowing it to move with the wind, which is supposed to help reduce pressure versus if it was static.
The trial is expected to last through next week.
