Monday marks the one year anniversary of one of the state’s most tragic accidents. Seven people died and more than 50 were injured when the stage rigging collapsed at the State Fairgrounds just before the country music duo “Sugarland” was set to perform.
The official remembrance will take place at 8:46 Monday night. That is the exact moment the rigging collapsed at the State Fair Grandstand. There will be a simple moment of silence at the fairgrounds.
A small plaque is now positioned just to the left of the grandstand entrance with the names of those seven people who died as a result of the collapse.
Sunday, fair goers spent the day stopping by the memorial thinking of what happened here.
Al Peters of Tipton says, “We are from Indiana and we do come to the fair every year and that’s a tragedy that will live in each and every one of our hearts and in our minds.”
Connie Paris of Martinsville says, “I think that this is just great. Because it just makes you feel–I don’t know–just good when you come by and you can think about those people and… Everybody still thinks about them so much and their families.”
During this past year, lessons have been learned about temporary stage construction, most notably inspections that now take place at the State Fairgrounds.
Performances on a temporary stage in front of the grandstand were ended and ticket prices were increased to cover losses after the collapse.
Much has yet to be resolved a year later. Lawsuits are still being worked out in Marion County and a combined settlement Attorney General Greg Zoeller brokered with the owner of the stage is still pending.
(source-wthr.com)
