Four hurt when motorcycle goes off stage, into crowd at Sturgis

Four people suffered injuries that were not life threatening during a motorcycle stunt gone wrong Sunday night at a campground that hosts hordes of visitors during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in western South Dakota.

Buffalo Chip Campground spokeswoman Nyla Griffith on Monday said “one maybe two” of the four victims spent the night at a hospital, but have since been released. They were injured when showman Roland Sands drove into a crowd around 9:45 p.m. Sunday between musical performances by Lita Ford and Kid Rock.

“He was going to do a demonstration on the stage, there was a malfunction, and the bike went over the stage,” Griffith said. “It was moving, but it wasn’t definitely anything near a full throttle or rocking, and drove off the stage into the VIP pit.”

Griffith said she’s not aware of what exactly malfunctioned during the show. Sands did not immediately return a voicemail and email directed to his California-based company inquiring about the cause of the incident and his current medical condition.

Griffith said the spectators’ injuries included a broken nose and a wounded leg. She said at least one victim was back at the campground by the time Kid Rock took the stage around midnight.

“Of course, it was a horrible accident, we feel terrible, but you know, it could have been much, much worse,” Griffith said. “We are just really happy that everyone is going to be OK.”

Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin said his department responded to the incident to assist the ambulance, but it is not investigating the accident. He said the incident is not considered a “reportable” accident because it did not occur on a roadway.

This year’s Sturgis rally in the Black Hills kicks off Monday. A record 739,000 people attended last year.