Pair Injured in Cemetery Cave-In Sue
WESTMINSTER — A man and woman walking across a cemetery to visit a friend’s grave site fell suddenly as the ground beneath them caved in, landing them against the walls of a grave, according to a lawsuit filed this week.
Brian Haug and Gayla Porcelli were visiting Westminster Memorial Park last July when a plot gave way, they contend in the lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court.
“Upon inspection, it appeared that an underground pipe had been leaking for a substantial period of time, undercutting the surface,” the lawsuit says.
Haug suffered a shoulder injury, and Porcelli suffered knee, wrist and elbow injuries, they contend.
The lawsuit also alleges that other cave-ins have occurred because of leaking pipes, and that the cemetery experienced “higher than normal” water usage because of the leaks.
Haug, Porcelli and officials at Westminster Memorial Park could not be reached for comment.
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