Monster Truck Show

Many witnesses of Saturday night's fatal accident at the monster truck show in Madison said it's the worst thing they've ever seen. And for many parents, the worst thing might be the emotional and mental toll on the youngest fans who were a witness to the tragedy.

On Saturday, a night of family fun was going off without a hitch at the Monster Truck Nationals at the Alliant Energy Center. Many young children were on hand to see a spectacular show of strength and size.


During the show, announcer George Eisenhart Jr., 41, of Chardon, Ohio, died when he stepped into the path of one of the huge trucks. Eisenhart died on Sunday from his injuries. Coroner John Stanley said preliminary investigation shows neither the victim nor the driver saw each other before the collision.

Sarah Killerlain, of Sun Prairie, spoke with WISC-TV moments after seeing a tragedy unfold.

"We got my boyfriend's 7-year-old son and my 3-year-old son and they're just, 'What happened? Is he OK?' We're trying to cover their eyes and 'Everything is OK, buddy. It's going to be OK.' They're just devastated," she said.

Many parents said that they wondered how in the world they would explain such a horrific scene.

Dr. Tom Murwin of Stoughton Clinic suggested parents level with their children.

"Keep your answers short but truthful," he said.

Murwin said in these traumatic events, some parents wait for kids to bring it up or just start a conversation appropriate for the child’s age.

"So, if they bring it up and they want to talk, go ahead and be able to take five minutes and talk because 8- and 10-year-olds aren't going to want to talk for 20minutes. They just want a couple short answers then there," he said. "I think the best way to do it is to either make a statement that reflects what they've just said back to you so that you understand what their question is or ask a few leading questions to figure out if what you think they asked is really what they asked."

He said that a 5-minute talk will suffice, but other times, the traumatic event can lead to anxiety problems. He said that if a child has trouble sleeping or is having trouble in school, it might be best to talk to a psychologist in order to approach the situation the best way for his/her age.

Killerlain said she's grateful her 3-year-old son is young enough. He might soon forget what he saw.

"I've never seen something so horrific and terrifying in my entire life, and it just breaks my heart that my kid had to see it," she said.