Grounds crew workers for the Cedar Rapids Kernals in Iowa suffered injuries on Monday when a severe thunderstorm packing winds up to 80 mph took control of a field tarp the workers were attempting to cover the field with.
The Kernals are a Class A minor league affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.
According to the Des Moines Register, four workers were injured by the rogue tarp. KCRG reports that three workers suffered concussions while another man walked away with a dislocated shoulder.
“It’s not light. It did knock these people over. Some of these are grown men,” Jessica Fergesen, director of corporate sales and marketing, said.
“It was total chaos,” said head groundskeeper Jesse Roeder. “Someone very easily could have broken their neck or been very seriously injured.”
The gif posted by The Big Lead shows a slowed down version of at least one worker getting run over by the tarp roll. Like a car going over a speed bump, the tarp lifts slightly as it rolls over the downed employee.
“All I remember is it came up from behind me, smacked me in the head and knocked me and other people down,” Roeder said. “People were trying to crawl out from underneath it, we had some of my guys trying to get people out from underneath it. Then it starts pouring rain.”
The storm arrived with the game between Cedar Rapids and the Clinton Lumberkings tied at three in the ninth inning. The game will be resumed at a later date.
