May 26, 2013
A freak accident at an Indiana circus claims the life of a Grimes County man. Authorities say elephant trainer Pierre Spenle of Plantersville was crushed to death by elephants after he fell into a trailer while the animals were being loaded.
Circus officials say Spenle was trampled by three Asian elephants, each weighing more than 7,000 pounds. They say it's natural for elephants to kick and stomp anything they can't see.
The accident happened in a Fort Wayne parking lot following a performance by the Tarzan Zerbini Circus. Spenle had been working with elephants for 18 years.
