Student on Westfield stage collapse: 'It was pretty scary'

Westfield, Ind. — Reid Markus was shocked when the stage floor beneath him gave way and he crashed about 12 feet to the hard floor of the orchestra pit late Thursday night, during a student production of "American Pie" at Westfield High School.

"I (remember) I'm on the ground and there are people on top of me," he told The Indianapolis Star on Friday. "It's chaos, and all of the parents are running and yelling out for their kids to make sure everyone is all right."

State and local officials are still trying to figure out what went wrong.

Dramatic videos of the stage-floor collapse taken by audience members quickly went viral on social media and drew national media attention, drawing comparisons to the 2011 stage-rigging collapse at the Indiana State Fair that took seven lives and injured dozens more.

Unlike four years ago, none of the injuries Thursday were life-threatening.

Markus, among about 17 students who reported being injured, broke his leg and sprained his arm. He was among the most seriously injured.

"It was only by the grace of God there weren't more injuries that occurred there with the 12-foot drop," Superintendent Mark Keen said.

By Friday afternoon, all had been released from the hospital. Desi Hoffman was the only student to stay overnight and the last to check out of St. Vincent Carmel Hospital. She posted to Instagram that she was underwent X-rays on her foot and a CT scan on her head.

Friday, investigators still were trying to piece together what happened. During the show's final number at about 9:45 p.m., the students rushed to a platform over the orchestra pit and began jumping up and down to the Journey tune "Don't Stop Believin.'