A scheduled rock concert at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Virginia was canceled Thursday evening after a worker was fatally crushed by a tour bus in the venue’s parking lot, authorities confirmed.
The U.S. Park Police responded to the incident at approximately 5 p.m., just hours before the English rock band Squeeze was set to perform at 7:30 p.m. The worker, who was under the bus when officers arrived, died at the scene. Authorities attributed the accident to a failure of a supporting apparatus that caused the bus to collapse onto the individual.
Venue and band respond
Wolf Trap issued a statement on social media acknowledging the accident and announcing the cancellation of the evening’s show. "There was an accident involving a member of the community at Wolf Trap National Park," the venue wrote. "Out of respect, tonight's show has been canceled."
Squeeze expressed deep sorrow over the incident in a statement to Rolling Stone. "We are deeply saddened and shocked by an incident that occurred at the venue earlier today, which resulted in the loss of a life," the band said. "We will work with the promoter and venue regarding the possibility of rescheduling the show and will communicate further information to ticket holders as soon as it is available. Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by this tragic event."
Impact on attendees
News of the accident spread among concertgoers in the parking lot, where emergency vehicles had gathered. Some attendees left the area, while others remained, visibly shaken by the tragedy. Debbie Daniel, a witness, told FOX 5 DC: "It was horrible when we found out that happened. We saw the emergency vehicles come in, figured something serious had happened because there was like 15 or more vehicles. But, yeah, it was very tragic."
Worker’s identity withheld
The U.S. Park Police have not released the identity of the deceased worker, pending notification of next of kin. The investigation into the cause of the apparatus failure is ongoing.
The cancellation marks the second high-profile concert disruption in the region this week following reports of a separate incident at Madison Square Garden in New York City.