Death of announcer called 'tragic accident'

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: Death of Monster Truck Nationals promoter, announcer called 'tragic accident' : By JUDY NEWMAN | WSJ : ------------------------ : "A tragic accident" is how Dane County officials describe the death of George Eisenhart Jr. at the Monster Truck Nationals show Saturday night at the Dane County Coliseum — the second death in just over a week involving monster trucks. : Eisenhart, 41, of Chardon, Ohio, was hit by one of the giant-wheeled, thundering vehicles he loved when he stepped into its path near the end of the performance. He was pronounced dead two hours later at Univeristy of Wisconsin Hospital of major, "crushing" internal injuries, Coroner John Stanley said. : "Our preliminary investigation shows neither Eisenhart nor the truck driver saw each other before the collision," Stanley told a news conference Sunday. : No crime is involved, Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney said. "There is no indication of any alcohol or drug use; that was immediately ruled out. All vehicles appeared to be operating with safety equipment," he said. : Eisenhart was president and owner of Image Productions, the Ohio company that's been staging the Monster Nationals around the country since 1993. He also was the show's promoter and announcer. : "Monster trucks were his life ... and he was very big on safety," Stanley said he was told by Eisenhart's family. : In fact, Eisenhart became president this month of the International Monster Truck Racing Association, a Union, Mo., organization whose goal is to develop stringent safety standards for the industry. Leaders of the group issued a statement on its Web site, announcing Eisenhart's death "with heavy hearts." : The statement said the accident occurred as the monster trucks were returning to their parking areas, after a demonstration. "This is a general workplace accident in which the extraordinary happened under what would previously have been considered ordinary conditions," the statement said. : A Web site devoted to the monster truck business, TheMonsterBlog.com, also expressed grief over Eisenhart's death, calling him "one of our industry's best and brightest, a man committed to providing fun family entertainment in the safest manner possible." : Mahoney said at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, just before the scheduled end of the show, after the huge, growling, raised pickup trucks had rumbled over a host of other vehicles, leaving them crushed, Eisenhart walked onto the staging floor. : "I can't tell you why," said Mahoney, who said he's taken his own two sons to the show in past years. "I think this was a very tragic accident and that's what our investigation shows." : The town of Madison Fire Department, contracted by the Alliant Energy Center to stand by during concerts or shows such as this, had three paramedics at the Coliseum and an ambulance stationed outside, fire chief Dave Bloom said. Four more of the town's paramedics quickly arrived, along with nine sheriff's deputies and a supervisor. : "We couldn't have been there any quicker," Bloom said. Eisenhart was pronounced dead at 11:32 p.m. : From protective gear worn by drivers to equipment on the trucks themselves, there were no apparent lapses in safety, Mahoney said. The U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration has been notified, though, and will conduct its own investigation. : Samson, a blue pickup truck with bulging biceps painted along its sides, was the truck that hit Eisenhart. Its owner and driver, Daniel Patrick, 54, of Circleville, Ohio, has been on the monster truck circuit for more than 20 years. : Mahoney said Patrick told detectives he did not see Eisenhart walk out on the floor. "He knew he had hit something but obviously, he didn't know it was a person ... . He is taking this very hard," Mahoney said. : Eisenhart was married and had two daughters. A funeral is being planned by the Burr Funeral home in Chardon, near Cleveland. : Eisenhart's death came just eight days after a 6-year-old boy was killed by flying debris at a monster truck show in Tacoma, Wash. The two incidents are not related, and the shows were staged by different companies, Mahoney said. : In an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal last week, Eisenhart offered reassurance that the Monster Truck Nationals shows would be safe, saying no spectators would be allowed in the first several rows of seats; a concrete wall separates the trucks from the empty seats; and all trucks undergo safety inspections. : "You're far more at risk of getting injured driving to the event or home with your seat belts on and driving the speed limit," he said then. : Eisenhart was one of the leaders of safety efforts, said Ross Bonar, who runs TheMonsterBlog.com. : "There are a lot of promoters in monster trucks ... George was, no doubt, considered one of the most professional promoters out there and definitely one of those who worked the hardest promoting safety in monster trucks," Bonar said. : The Monster Nationals has performed at the Coliseum for more than 10 years. "They always have presented a safe and entertaining event. We're saddened that this accident occurred," said Bill DiCarlo, executive director of the Alliant Energy Center. "Our foremost thoughts and concerns are with the injured person and his family, and with the Monster Nationals team," he said. : The Monster Nationals show scheduled at the Coliseum on Sunday was canceled in the wake of the tragedy. DiCarlo said those who bought tickets for the Sunday performance over the telephone or Internet will receive automatic refunds. Tickets purchased at the Alliant Energy Center box office must return the ticket there, in person or by mail, for a refund. : Sheriff Mahoney said he would have "no qualms" about the event returning to Dane County in the future. : — Anita Weier of The Capital Times contributed to this report.

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