INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

High School Stage Collapse In Indiana Sends Dozens To The Hospital

By Tara Dodrill
Published on: 00:22 PST, Apr 24, 2015

High school stage collapse in central Indiana sent more than one dozen students to the hospital on Thursday evening. Westfield police officers were unsure of exactly how many students were injured during the Westfield high school stage collapse and initially reported that one student was critically injured. However, today school officials were glad to report that all injuries appeared to be minor.

Westfield High School students were performing the grand finale during their “American Pie” concert during the stage collapse. The floor of the stage collapsed into the orchestra pit below, witnesses to the Indiana incident said. Zach Rader, a member of the audience, captured the high school musical stage collapse on video.

https://youtu.be/-1NQpJ_jUHQ

A large group of students were dancing and clapping as one female Westfield High School female student was signing the classic Journey hit song “Don’t Stop Believin'” during the stage collapse. The Indiana high school students then suddenly disappear from view amid screams and gasps, the video shows.

“At first, it didn’t seem real. It didn’t really register with me what happened,” said Blake Rice, a senior at the central Indiana high school. Westfield is located approximately 20 miles north of Indianapolis.

Blake Rice was playing 80s music on his guitar at the high school musical during the Westfield stage collapse. Rice said that when the grand finale song began he took a “step back” to permit more of the other students onto the stage. The courteous gesture moved Rice far enough back that he did not fall when the stage collapsed, but was forced to stand helplessly by as his friends crashed to the floor.

“I realized how lucky I was. Another three seconds and that could have been me,” Rice added.

Immediately following the stage collapse, audience members ran to the students and started pulling stage debris out of the pit in an effort to pull them out.

The Indiana students injured during the stage collapse were reportedly transported to three different area hospitals. Classes at Westfield High School were not cancelled for today. School officials said students would be permitted to comfort one another and “talk it through” during the first period of classes and have access to counselors.

Westfield Mayor Andy Cook visited students injured during the Indiana high school stage collapse at their respective hospitals last night. Cook said many of the students were in good spirits.

“I said, ‘You kids must really have been rocking.’ They said, “Yes, we had a good time,'” Mayor Cook added.

Some of the students injured in the Westfield High School stage collapse have now been released from the hospital.

[Image via: Shutterstock.com]

Share this article: High School Stage Collapse In Indiana Sends Dozens To The Hospital
indiana
More from Inquisitr