Circus agrees to pay $25K in tent collapse that killed 2

LANCASTER, N.H. (AP) — A Florida-based circus operator has agreed to pay $25,000 in fines to resolve criminal charges in New Hampshire following a tent collapse in 2015 that killed two people and injured dozens.

The Caledonian-Record reports (http://bit.ly/2lhdfyS) a prosecutor says the plea agreement resolves eight charges, including operating without a license, and ensures the state will receive money from a defendant who has limited funds.

Sarasota-based Walker International Events initially faced more than $200,000 in fines.

The agreement will need court approval. A March 8 hearing is scheduled.

The company, now out of business, also settled some lawsuits and agreed to pay federal safety fines.

Forty-one-year-old Robert Young and his 6-year-old daughter, Annabelle, of Concord, Vermont, died when a storm with 75 mph winds blew through the Lancaster Fairgrounds, toppling the tent.

———

Information from: The Caledonian-Record, http://www.caledonianrecord.com