High Winds Claim One Life in Festival Tent Collapse

Published Aug. 2, 2015.

A 35-year-old man was killed and as many as 20 injured when a tent at Wood Dale’s Prairie Fest collapsed as a sudden burst of high wind swept through DuPage County at about 2:35 p.m. Sunday. The accident happened near Wood Dale Junior High.

Police said 15 people, three of whom were seriously hurt, were taken to local hospitals for treatment. Steven Nincic, 35, of Wood Dale, was killed when the tent collapsed, according to Wood Dale police.

A microburst lifted the tent into the air and then slammed it into the ground, scattering tables and chairs and trapping people beneath, a witness told the Chicago Tribune. Rescuers cut holes into the canvas to get people out.

The storm burst then moved through Rosemont, where a dome over the practice field used by the Chicago Bandits pro women’s baseball team collapsed. No injuries were reported. The storm then passed through the city of Chicago, where organizers of Lollapalooza halted the concert temporarily at 3 p.m. as the clouds passed. The gates were reopened at 3:30 p.m. and concert-goers were allowed to return the grounds.

The winds also downed power lines in the western suburbs and scattered debris across CTA tracks in the city, disrupting El service.

Late Sunday night, more storms passed through the area and a tornado warning was issued for Lake County.