Young Boy Fatally Hit at Tacoma Truck Show

A young boy was fatally hit with flying metal debris at a monster truck show in Tacoma, Washington on Friday, said officials.

A red truck was doing doughnuts and driving in tight circles when debris flew 30 to 50 feet over a safety barrier and into the stands, said witnesses.

“Parts were falling off and a piece flew up and hit a little boy,” said Christine Moe of Seattle. “You just saw the mother just sitting there holding her son and the whole top of his head was just gushing with blood.”

Another man, who remains unidentified by authorities, was hit with the debris and was “laying on his side, kicking his legs,” said witness Laurie Deranleau.

The injured two were taken to the hospital, where the 6-year-old boy was pronounced dead. He was identified by the Pierce County medical examiner’s office as Sabastian Hizey of Puyallup.

Sebastian had suffered severe brain trauma when he was hit by a 7- to-12-pound, Frisbee-sized metal ring from a truck, said a statement issued by his family.

The remaining four Monster Jam shows, two each on Saturday and Sunday, remained on the Tacoma Dome schedule. “They didn’t even stop the damn show,” Moe said. “They just kept going. We grabbed our kids and just beelined out of there.”

“Our company follows strict safety guidelines designed to protect both spectators and competitors alike,” said Bill Easterly, Feld’s senior director of operations, in a statement issued Friday night. The truck involved was taken out of use while the company investigates, he said.