NH Fire Marshal Calls for Charges Circus Tent Deaths

July 12, 2016
William Degnan said the circus should face negligent homicide charges in the two deaths

Charges of negligent homicide should be brought in connection with the collapse of a big top circus tent in Lancaster last summer that killed a father and daughter, the New Hampshire fire marshal has recommended.

Fire Marshal William Degnan said he made the recommendation after months of investigation into the Aug. 3 collapse of the Walker International Events test at the Lancaster Fairgrounds.

Forecasts had warned of storms, and the fairgrounds were hit by a microburst that evening.

“We have made that recommendation (of a negligent homicide charge) to the county attorney, but the decision lies with him,” Deg­nan said on Monday. “He’s the one responsible.”

Coos County Attorney John McCormick will have to decide whether to bring the charge to the grand jury, Degnan said. A telephone message left Monday evening for McCormick was not returned.

Walker International had scheduled a circus event for the night, and about 100 people gathered inside the tent. About 15 minutes into the performance, the storm rolled in from the west, packing heavy rain, lightning, hail and wind gusts of 90 mph.

Wind picked up the tent, causing the steel infrastructure to collapse.

The falling debris killed Robert Young, 41, and his daughter Annabelle Young, 8, both from Concord, Vt. Some three dozen others were injured, some seriously.

A telephone message left Monday afternoon for Walker International was not returned.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is seeking fines of $33,800 against Walker International, saying it did not follow warnings from the National Weather Service and failed to erect the tent according to design standards and diagrams.

OSHA has also said the tent should have been taken down amid expected winds of 60 mph, and it said tent stakes were not properly anchored. OSHA has cited Walker for 14 serious violations of workplace safety standards.

Walker is contesting the fines.

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©2016 The New Hampshire Union Leader (Manchester, N.H.)

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