Several injured in incident at Huron County Fair's Tough Truck Contest

Two people were seriously injured during the Tough Truck competition at the Huron County Fair in Norwalk on August 16 after a vehicle malfunctioned and the driver lost control.

According to a press release from Townsend Township Fire Department Deputy Chief Jonathan White, numerous other people were also injured in the incident.

At 10 p.m., one of the participants in the competition experienced a vehicle malfunction and the vehicle crashed into the staging area, the press release said.

The driver told officials he lost control of the truck's brakes and steering, which caused the incident, said Bob Morgan, president of the fair for 32 years and a board member for 38 years.

“There were several injuries, two of them serious, and the injured were taken to trauma centers in the area,” the press release said.

At least one rescue helicopter was dispatched to pick up a victim, the press release said.

The pilot was unable to find a suitable landing spot on the fairgrounds and was forced to park on the Norwalk City School property not far away, Morgan said.

A vendor who serves doughnuts after grandstand events told Morgan that a lot of people always stop by his stand, but not on August 16.

“It hurt everyone,” Moore said. “We've never experienced anything like this before and we hope it never happens again.”

The Tough Truck competition has been held at the fairgrounds for several years without incident, he said.

The people involved in the incident were not from the area because the competition attracts participants from a large area, Morgan said.

Morgan said he had not heard any news about her condition.

“You are in our thoughts and prayers,” he said.

Fire departments from Berlin and New London responded to the scene, as did the Huron County Sheriff's Office and North Central Emergency Medical Services.

The sheriff's office is investigating the incident.

White thanked security personnel for their assistance on site during the release.

“We would also like to thank the Huron County Sheriff's Office and the Huron County Fair Board for keeping us safe so we could do our jobs,” White wrote.

The week-long fair ended on August 18 this year.

Originally published: August 19, 2024 at 16:58