Sugarland depositions on collapse set for Thursday, Friday

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Wednesday night, Sugarland will appear in front of thousands of fans in Niagara Falls. On Thursday, though, singer Jennifer Nettles will make an appearance of a different kind.

The band recently kicked off their "In your hands" concert tour. But in between tour dates, they’ve fit in time to answer questions about the tragic occurrences the night of their show at the Indiana State Fair last August.

Thursday, Nettles will be talking to dozens of lawyers about what she was doing, who she was with and what was said in the minutes leading up to the stage rigging collapse that killed seven and injured dozens of others. The collapse happened just minutes before Sugarland was to go on stage at the grandstand at the fairgrounds in Indianapolis Aug. 13.

Sugarland has been blamed for refusing to delay the concert despite reports of severe weather moving into the area. For the first time since the collapse, lawyers representing those injured and killed will get to ask Sugarland questions about the decision to go ahead with the concert.

The depositions will take place at a conference center in Charleston, W.Va. Nettles is scheduled to appear at 3 p.m. Thursday. Kristian Bush is to appear at 9 a.m. Friday.

A video link will allow attorneys unable to travel to Charleston to watch and ask questions from two locations: one in South Bend, the other at a conference center in Indianapolis. Attorneys who are part of the lawsuit can also take part over a secure telephone link.

24-Hour News 8 will have a crew in West Virginia at the depositions.