THUNDER BAY — Spectators were left somewhat shaken after a motorcycle involved in a performance at a Thunder Bay circus was inadvertently put in gear, causing it to be driven into a seating area.
The company that operates the circus is looking at changes to prevent a repetition.
The incident happened Sunday during a show put on by U.S.-based Great Benjamins Circus in a tent on the grounds of the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition.
Two riders had just exited the large metal sphere where motocross bikes are ridden at high speed.
Still seated on the machines, they stopped with the motors still running to face the audience and receive applause, when one of the bikes suddenly shot forward.
"It got away from him, I assume. He remained on the bike and drove right through a portable wood barrier that's maybe the height of my knees," witness Kristin Scorgie told TBnewswatch in an interview.
"It kind of crashed right through and crashed into the VIP seating area ... and people were knocked right off their seats."
A family of five had been sitting in that area, including a five-year-old boy.
"The boy was commenting that his leg was hurting," Scorgie said, but Superior North EMS paramedics diagnosed both the boy and his father with only minor injuries, and neither wound up being taken to hospital.
"That whole family was quite in shock, as were my kids too," she said.
A spokesperson for Great Benjamins Circus told TBnewswatch the motorcycle rider involved in the incident accidentally kicked his bike into gear.
"It was a human error by the performing artist, which has never happened before," said John Davenport, one of the managers at the Thunder Bay event.
"He put the bike in neutral and was accelerating a little bit and getting the people hyped up and all that. Because it was just after the performance, and you know, the adrenaline rush and all that. By accident, with his left foot he put it in first gear ... The bike took off on him, and when he tried to grab it, he didn't react enough to grab the clutch."
Davenport said that as a result of the incident, in future shows motorcycle engines will be shut off after the performers leave the sphere to greet the audience.
"We are deeply sorry about this. We would never want anything like this to happen again. At the end of the day, we want to make sure everyone who comes out to see the circus has a good time and doesn't end up having a bad memory."
A written statement from the circus' head office described the incident as an unfortunate event that occurred while the rider was dismounting, and noted that ring barricades designed to create a wall of protection between the acts and the audience "served their purpose" because the runaway bike hit a barricade first, which was then pushed back toward some attendees.
The barricade has been described to TBnewswatch as being about 14 inches tall and 18 inches deep.
"This matter will be reviewed internally with our performers to determine what changes can be made in our end-of-act procedures to prevent an incident like this from occurring again," the statement said.
Davenport said Thunder Bay police attended the scene, but a police spokesperson said Monday he had not yet seen a report on the incident.
A spokesperson for the CLE said the exhibition had not been made aware of it, but it will be followed up.
