Horrifying moment monster truck runs over a worker during an Ohio show as crews rush to free victim from under giant wheel
- A member of the Monster Truck Wars security staff was crushed under a tire
- The 56-year-old was standing behind the truck as it was backing up in Ohio
- He is in stable condition, but the extent of his injuries is unknown
A 56-year-old man was airlifted to the hospital after a monster truck accidentally backed over him during a crowded truck exhibit at an Ohio fairground.
A dramatic video showed Monster Truck Wars safety personnel being crushed under a tire at the Marion County Fairgrounds Coliseum on Saturday night.
Panicked onlookers and emergency services rushed to free the victim from under the truck’s Ferris wheel just after 8pm.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the unidentified man was taken to Marion General Hospital before being flown to Grant Medical Center in Columbus.
He is said to be in stable condition after the horrific accident, which stunned and shocked the crowds of people who gathered for the monster truck show.
A 56-year-old Monster Truck Wars safety worker was taken to the hospital Saturday evening after a truck rolled over him during a show in Marion, Ohio
Dramatic video showed Monster Truck Wars safety personnel being crushed under a tire at the Marion County Fairgrounds Coliseum on Saturday night
One participant, Jessica Hemminger, told WSYX, “It was horrible, it was horrific. And I’ll never forget it.’ She said she brought her two sons to the event.
She added: “It’s still replaying in my head. I don’t think it will ever leave my mind.’
Footage shows the truck quickly reversing towards the man and knocking him to the ground before disappearing under a rear tire, causing the crowd to gasp in shock.
“I could see he had been hit and I was in shock,” Dave Johnson told WBNS.
“Everyone on the ground rushed to the man’s assistant. I will immediately call the emergency services and ambulance personnel.’
He said first responders left the stand to help the man before everyone else was asked to leave.
The truck reversed toward the man, knocking him to the ground and crushing him under one of the rear tires. One attendee said first responders left the stands as the rest of the arena was evacuated
An advertisement for the Monster Truck Show, which took place in Ohio on Saturday
“I sat there and said a prayer, you know,” Johnson said.
“It’s almost like, when you look at things, you think this guy is going to stand up and wave his hand like ‘I’m fine,’ and that hasn’t happened.”
According to Marion County Sheriff Matt Bayles, the man is in stable condition, but the extent of his injuries are unknown.
On Facebook, locals expressed concerns about the size of the arena, saying it was not big enough to accommodate such an event.
“That’s an extremely small monster truck location,” one woman, Melissa Bowers, commented. ‘TThe fumes alone would be bad, but the limited space was an accident waiting to happen.”
“It’s such a small arena,” said Marion resident James Anderson. “I don’t understand how they have a Monster Truck event there.”
Monster Truck Wars, Billed as ‘America’s Wildest Monster Truck Show,’ Tours the Country, organizing conferences in various states.
The entertainment company behind the spectacle has the same name and specializes in “monster trucks, truck and tractor pulling and mud racing,” according to their website.
Authorities say the incident is currently under investigation. The 56-year-old employee has not been named.