Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Monday, August 15, 2011
(INDIANAPOLIS) - The Indiana State Fair will resume today due to the tragic incident in the grandstand on Saturday night, the status of the fair’s remaining concerts with Janet Jackson, Lady Antebellum and Maroon5 and Train are all still undetermined.
Indiana State Fair Executive Director Cindy Hoye spoke at the fairgrounds Sunday morning regarding the stage collapse during the concert at the Hoosier Lottery grandstands Saturday night.
The state fair was closed on Sunday as investigations into the incident continue.
Hoye called the incident a tragic situation. Hoye says IOSHA is investigating as well as the state fire marshal's office.
Indiana State Police say they are calling it an accidental death investigation. Representatives from the Indiana attorney general's office and the Marion County coroner's office are also conducting their own investigations.
The fair will reopen today at 8am and a memorial service will be held at 9am at the free stage in the northwest corner of the fairgrounds.
"Utter Chaos", Says State Collapse Victim
One of the fans at the Sugarland concert at the Indiana State Fair says he's lucky to be ok.
David Riley says he and his friends were about five feet from the stage in the general admission pit when he says a black cloud and heavy winds came through within about five minutes. He says then he saw equipment hanging from the stage begin to sway. "The last thing I remember is my fiancee yelling 'run!' and we probably got four or five feet and we all hit the ground and the scaffold missed my legs by probably a foot and a half," Riley says.
Riley helped pull a woman who was trapped underneath the staging away from the damage. A friend of his was taken to Methodist in critical condition.
Riley called the entire scene at the Indiana State Fair 'utter chaos.'
First Lady Witnesses Stage Collapse
The impact of the accident at the Indiana State Fair directly touched the governor's family.
First Lady Cheri Daniels was at Sugarland concert Saturday night when the rigging on the stage collapsed.
Daniels says she was at the concert with her daughter and son-in-law, however was separated from them at the time the incident occurred. Daniels was in her seat in the grandstand while her daughter was in down much closer to the stage. Daniels says she was in the process of leaving the grandstand when the stage collapsed.
She says it took about 45 minutes to locate her family and secure their safety.Cell phone use and other forms of communication were not possible at the time.
Daniels says she and the governor hold the families and friends of those who died and were injured in their hearts and prayers.
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