Three fans were hurt and two were forced to go the hospital at the Colts preseason finale on Thursday after a bolt fell from the roof. The accident happened when the retractable roof at Lucas Oil Stadium was being opened up for the second half of the team’s game against the Bengals. The injuries do not appear to be life-threatening.
Fans and reporters who were at the game documented what they saw on Twitter.
Fan I talked on the phone said he heard a loud pop and then saw something (like a bolt) fall from overhead and ultimately hit woman in head.
— Michael Anthony Adams (@MichaelAdams317) September 4, 2015
@MichaelAdams317 @indystar yep. Right by us. pic.twitter.com/daDIU1otNP
— AmberWaves IB1 🚀💫 (@amberwvzz) September 4, 2015
Barney Levengood, the executive director of the Capital Improvement Board of Managers, who operates the stadium, released this statement following the incident:
With approximately two minutes remaining at half time at the Indianapolis Colts vs. Cincinnati Bengals game this evening at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, there was an occurrence with the movement of the retractable roof. The roof was in process of being opened for the second half of the preseason game. A bolt from the fixed structure sheared and dropped into seating section 248 (located in the northwest corner of the lower seating bowl). Once the stadium authorities were notified, the movement of the roof was stopped immediately.
On-site medical personnel deemed all injuries to be non-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. The third person was a male who was treated and released on site.
The league implemented a new rule this offseason (proposed by the Colts) saying that, at stadiums where there is a retractable roof, the roof can be opened at halftime, weather permitting.
This is the second incident that has caused fan injury at Lucas Oil Stadium in the past three seasons as, back in 2013, two fans were injured when a railing in the stadium collapsed.
