Lucas Oil Stadium roof inspected after fans hurt
Officials with the Capital Improvement Board said crews are examining the roof of Lucas Oil Stadium, after three people were injured by a falling bolt Thursday night, during the Indianapolis Colts' final preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Two minutes before halftime, a bolt, sheared by the retractable roof that was being opened, dropped into seating Section 248, striking two men and a woman, said Barney Levengood, executive director of the CIB.
"I heard a large pop overhead," said Robert Fickle, 44, a Colts fan from Cincinnati. The next thing he saw, Fickle said, was the bolt fall, ricochet off the wall beside him, then strike a woman below him.
He said the bolt was the size of a half-roll of quarters.
"My sister is in section above the woman," Chris Bavender, communications director for the Indianapolis Department of Public Safety, tweeted to The Indianapolis Star. "Said it was large bolt that fell — (medical personnel) leading (the woman) down (with a) cloth to her head."
Once stadium authorities were notified of the falling bolt, Levengood said they immediately stopped the opening of the roof.
None of the injuries were life-threatening.
"One female and one male were attended to by IU Health medical personnel and then transported to a local hospital for further evaluation," Levengood said. "The third person was a male who was treated and released on site."
The CIB is investigating what caused the accident, Levengood said. Once the inspection of the roof is complete, he said more information would be released.
In February 2014, a similar incident occurred at Assembly Hall at Indiana University-Bloomington, when a large metal beam fell from the ceiling onto empty seats. Snow and ice accumulation caused problems in the corners of the arena, which prompted the beam to loosen and fall.
The next gathering on Lucas Oil Stadium’s schedule is an event for 220 people for a financial planning firm on Sept. 12.
More events also are scheduled before the Colts play another game at the stadium — their home opener on on Sept. 21 against the New York Jets.
"The safety of everyone who attends and works events at Lucas Oil Stadium is our top priority,” Levengood said.
Call Star reporter Michael Anthony Adams at (317) 444-6123. Follow him on Twitter: @MichaelAdams317.