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Skaggs Bus Mishap Kills Pedestrian
A pedestrian was killed when
“The young man just walked out into traffic,” said Melissa McDonald, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Safety. “There was no fault on the part of the bus driver. It was unavoidable.” She said charges won’t be filed against the driver.
The victim, Joshua Overall, 21, was wearing a Bonnaroo admission armband when he was killed. McDonald said it appeared he jumped over a fence to reach the highway from the festival site.
There was no indication of alcohol use by the bus driver or Overall, but drug tests will be done on Overall.
Bonnaroo co-promoter Ashley Capps of
“The safety of our patrons is our No. 1 concern, and we’re deeply saddened when something like this happens.”
The festival is in its fifth year and attracts about 80,000 festivalgoers each year to the 700-acre site about 60 miles southeast of Nashville.
This is the second fatality reported for this year’s festival. A contractor died June 11th after he fell out of the back of a pickup truck that was carrying a tent to the festival, The Tennessean reported.
However, police said this year’s festival attracted better-mannered fans and saw fewer drug problems than before, the paper said.
The festival has seen a few tragedies, including two drug overdose deaths in 2004 and a man who died in his tent during 2005’s festival.
This year’s event featured an all-star lineup that included