No Evacuation Plan In Place Before Deadly Wood Dale Tent Collapse
WOOD DALE (CBS) -- Authorities in Wood Dale apparently did not have a written storm evacuation plan before high winds led to a deadly tent collapse at a summer festival, new documents show.
Steven Ninic and his family were leaving Prairie Fest, when surveillance video shows a police officer turned them around, directing them under a giant tent.
Just moments later, a 60 mph wind gust struck, and the tent collapsed, costing Ninic his life.
Ninic's widow, "just kept re-iterating the same question," said family attorney Lou Cairo. "Why did they tell us to go under the tent? Why didn't they just let us leave?"
Some answers may lie in the city's festival operation plan, released to CBS 2 through a freedom of information request.
The plan's objectives were to "provide safety and security" and "maintain an awareness of weather conditions."
However, the document does not contain a defined emergency plan.
Instead, police "led people and they led themselves into harm's way," Cairo said. "That's what the most telling thing of the [surveillance] tape was to me."
A pre-festival e-mail exchange, obtained by the Daily Herald, refers to possible crisis steps.
From Wood Dale executive assistant Wendy Bednarz: "...in the event of inclement/dangerous weather (ie, tornado warning) is the Junior High...a safe place for Prairie Fest patrons?"
School Supt. John Corbett replied: "Sure, I would need some notice if you plan to use it so I can have a custodian on site to open the building."
To which Police Chief Greg Vesta answers: "I would say if we are given a severe thunderstorm watch or obviously tornado watch we should consider having someone available to open the school. Right now there is no severe weather predicted through Sunday, so I think we are fine."
Despite what is seen in the security video, Wood Dale's attorney told the Daily Herald police officers did not direct the family under the tent.
Exactly what the city believes did happen, he wouldn't say.
