Announcer Dies After Monster Nationals Show Incident
Attendee: Saturday's Show Was Stopped After Incident
Updated: 11:19 am CST January 26, 2009
MADISON, Wis. -- An announcer was struck and killed at Saturday's Monster Nationals truck show at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
VIDEO: Eyewitness: Monster Truck Accident 'Horrific' | VIDEO: Viewer Video: See Monster Truck Accident SceneThe man killed was identified as George Eisenhart Jr., 41, of Chardon, Ohio, according to the Dane County coroner. The coroner said that Eisenhart was one of the show's promoters as well as the announcer. He was apparently struck by one of the monster trucks on Saturday night.For 16 years, Eisenhart brought his passion for monster trucks to Madison. The regular event attracted an audience of 7,000 people on Saturday night. Those who knew him said Eisenhart's top concern was always safety, WISC-TV reported.Eisenhart spoke with WISC-TV about safety measures just a few hours before Saturday's big show, but near the end of the show, Eisenhart was struck and killed."He was standing in a well coming out onto the floor, one vehicle had passed him," said Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney.It was the second truck called Samson, driven by Daniel Patrick, of Ohio, that hit and killed the 41-year-old husband and father of two."The preliminary investigation indicates that neither the truck driver nor Mr. Eisenhart saw each other before the collision," said Dane County Medical Examiner John Stanley.Video shot from a local fan caught the entire accident as it happened."We learned today that a lot of the direction that comes after drivers go over the cars is dependent upon how the trucks hit the cars and what happens with the trucks when they come to a landing," said Mahoney.Dane County investigators said there are no set rules for drivers to follow. Investigators said the show's promoters, led by Eisenhart, followed all of the safety measures required during the event.The safety requirements include not allowing anyone in the arena while a truck is on and moving, except for the announcer. Each truck must have a working engine shut-off switch, and each driver must have the required safety gear, WISC-TV reported."I can't tell you exactly why he went out on the floor. I think that this is a very tragic accident," said Mahoney.Dane County investigators completed their investigation on Sunday and are calling the situation a terrible accident.The overall investigation will now go to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA.On Monday, Kim Stille, director of the OSHA office in Madison, said her agency's investigation hasn't turned up any obvious safety issues. She said the investigation continues but "it does appear to be a tragic accident."No one from Monster Truck Nationals has commented on the tragedy, but the organization's MySpace page pays tribute to Eisenhart.Officials with Alliant Energy Center said the show at 1 p.m. on Sunday was called off. They said that refunds are available for fans at the point of purchase and online ticket purchases will be refunded automatically.Officials said that anyone with questions can call the Alliant Energy Center Box Office at 608-267-3995.Monster Truck Nationals was scheduled to be in Kentucky next weekend. There is no word on if those shows will be canceled or if the show will return to Madison next year.
VIDEO: Eyewitness: Monster Truck Accident 'Horrific' | VIDEO: Viewer Video: See Monster Truck Accident SceneThe man killed was identified as George Eisenhart Jr., 41, of Chardon, Ohio, according to the Dane County coroner. The coroner said that Eisenhart was one of the show's promoters as well as the announcer. He was apparently struck by one of the monster trucks on Saturday night.For 16 years, Eisenhart brought his passion for monster trucks to Madison. The regular event attracted an audience of 7,000 people on Saturday night. Those who knew him said Eisenhart's top concern was always safety, WISC-TV reported.Eisenhart spoke with WISC-TV about safety measures just a few hours before Saturday's big show, but near the end of the show, Eisenhart was struck and killed."He was standing in a well coming out onto the floor, one vehicle had passed him," said Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney.It was the second truck called Samson, driven by Daniel Patrick, of Ohio, that hit and killed the 41-year-old husband and father of two."The preliminary investigation indicates that neither the truck driver nor Mr. Eisenhart saw each other before the collision," said Dane County Medical Examiner John Stanley.Video shot from a local fan caught the entire accident as it happened."We learned today that a lot of the direction that comes after drivers go over the cars is dependent upon how the trucks hit the cars and what happens with the trucks when they come to a landing," said Mahoney.Dane County investigators said there are no set rules for drivers to follow. Investigators said the show's promoters, led by Eisenhart, followed all of the safety measures required during the event.The safety requirements include not allowing anyone in the arena while a truck is on and moving, except for the announcer. Each truck must have a working engine shut-off switch, and each driver must have the required safety gear, WISC-TV reported."I can't tell you exactly why he went out on the floor. I think that this is a very tragic accident," said Mahoney.Dane County investigators completed their investigation on Sunday and are calling the situation a terrible accident.The overall investigation will now go to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA.On Monday, Kim Stille, director of the OSHA office in Madison, said her agency's investigation hasn't turned up any obvious safety issues. She said the investigation continues but "it does appear to be a tragic accident."No one from Monster Truck Nationals has commented on the tragedy, but the organization's MySpace page pays tribute to Eisenhart.Officials with Alliant Energy Center said the show at 1 p.m. on Sunday was called off. They said that refunds are available for fans at the point of purchase and online ticket purchases will be refunded automatically.Officials said that anyone with questions can call the Alliant Energy Center Box Office at 608-267-3995.Monster Truck Nationals was scheduled to be in Kentucky next weekend. There is no word on if those shows will be canceled or if the show will return to Madison next year.Man Hit By Truck Saturday Night
After the incident during Saturday night's show, Eisenhart was taken to University of Wisconsin Hospital, WISC-TV reported.A woman who attended the program said that the announcer was struck during a race, WISC-TV reported. Melissa Millard said she saw a truck called Samson strike a man standing against the event floor wall. She said event staff told the audience that the show was over and that attendees had to exit. According to Millard, an ambulance then quickly came to the man's aid.Sun Prairie resident Sarah Killerlain called the incident "horrific." She and her boyfriend brought his 7-year-old son and her 3-year-old son to the show. She said they covered the boys' eyes after the accident."They're just devastated," Killerlain said. "It was awful."The incident comes just eight days after a piece of flying metal debris struck and killed a 6-year-old boy at a similar show in Tacoma, Wash. That show was not produced by the same company. In that case the child's family has retained a lawyer and has asked the event promoter to preserve all evidence related to the incident.
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- January 25, 2009: Announcer Hurt At Monster Nationals Show
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