Live Nation Charged in Fatal Radiohead Stage Collapse
The music community lost its collective breath last summer when reports surfaced of a stage collapse during a Radiohead concert in Toronto.
The collapse resulted in the death of Radiohead drum technician, Scott Johnson, and seriously injured three others. Now, the Toronto Star is reporting that charges have been brought against concert promoter Live Nation Canada, the staging company and an engineer involved in last year's deadly concert.
The Ontario Ministry of Labor announced 13 charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Eight are against Live Nation Canada Inc. and Live Nation Ontario Concerts GP Inc.
Of the remaining charges, four were brought against Toronto's Optex Staging and Service and one against an engineer. The news comes nearly one year after the anniversary of the collapse.
The ministry claim that Live Nation "failed to ensure the structure was designed and constructed to support or resist all likely loads and forces, it was adequately braced, there were no excessive loads and every employer complied with the act."
Live Nation responded in statement to the Hollywood Reporter where they refute the charges, claiming they did everything they could to ensure safety. They also explained that they now have a new staging contractor.
“We will vigorously defend ourselves and we are confident that through this process the facts will come to light and we will be exonerated,” the company said.
Ministry spokesman, Matt Blajer, said that the corporations involved could face up to $500,000 per charge; individuals could face $25,000 or one year in prison.
A trial is slated to begin June 27th.
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