WMC-TV: News, Weather, Traffic, Radar, and Sports for Memphis, TN; WMCTV.com | Worker dies in accident after wrestling event in Southaven

Worker dies in accident after wrestling event in Southaven

SOUTHAVEN, MS (WMC-TV) - A crew member with the TNA Wrestling promotion was killed Sunday night in an accident at the DeSoto Civic Center.

The accident happened Sunday night around 11pm, shortly after a televised wrestling event concluded. Officials said a group of men was working to break down a metal backdrop, which was about 15 to 20 feet off the ground, when a scaffolding collapsed.

Witnesses said two men were perched on opposite ends of the scaffolding when it fell.  One of the men, a TNA Wrestling crew member, fell and hit the concrete. He was rushed to Baptist DeSoto hospital in Southaven, where he later died.  Another worker with a local group, Crew 1, lost his thumb in the accident. He was taken to The MED, where he is expected to recover.

Sunday's night accident was the second time a worker died in such an accident Southaven in the past two months.  In April, Charles Christopher Houston died  when he fell nearly 30 feet from a scaffolding at Southaven's Springfest.

Monday, Holland's sister said Sunday's night's accident was a prime example of the need for increased safety regulations surrounding the type of work her brother did.  Holland has started a petition aimed at encouraging venue organizers to use safety nets and take other steps to keep workers safe.

"Each venue has to be responsible for making this different, so someone else's family doesn't have to go through this, and some other kid doesn't have to grow up without a father," she said.

Holland said her brother knew the man who died in Sunday's accident, and had worked with him.

The identity of the man who died Sunday night has not yet been released.

Click here to send an email to Ben Watson.