FC Dallas fan hit by 'O' blown off Toyota Stadium sign in storm
FRISCO, Texas - Severe weather hit Frisco hard right as people were waiting for the FC Dallas game to start.
The high winds brought down the 'O' from the Toyota sign at Toyota Stadium.
A man says he was wounded by the sign that went flying.
Colton Stephens says while his should is still store he is thankful the sign hit him and not the children nearby at the time.
Video from the stadium shows debris flying all over just before 8 p.m. Wednesday night.
"We've got to go, we've got to go," someone can be heard saying in the video.
Stephens, an FC Dallas season ticket holder, says the game was supposed to start at 7:30, but after the anthem it was delayed due to lightning.
The National Weather Service warned of wind gusts in excess of 60 miles per hour.
"At almost 8 a storm came out of nowhere, and it is the kind of rain where it is like, horizontal, because the wind's blowing so hard," said Stephens. "It kind of started a panic, everyone left their seats and went to go up the aisle to seek cover."
He was trying to get to shelter when he heard a noise.
"I hear this loud thud and get an intense pain in my shoulder. At the time, I didn't think much of it. I was like, that really hurts," Stephens said.
Stephens said he didn't fully realize what had happened until he returned to his seats following a check by EMTs.
"The people in the stands told me, ‘Hey, you know the "O" from Toyota, flew off from 50 yards and struck you in the shoulder.’ I was like, that's what hit me? I almost couldn't believe it," he said.
Stephens the "O", which he said was about the size of a car door, shattered when it hit him.
"It's very hard and heavy, honestly," he said.
Stephens hopes that the rest of the sign is checked out to make sure it is secure.
FOX 4 reached out to FC Dallas who responded with a statement:
"There were 3 kids in front of me, if something like this had hit one of those children, it could have broken their bones, or if it hit them in the neck, it could have been worse. Luckily, it hit me in the shoulder, and I'm a big guy, I can take it. It still hurt, but it could have been worse, kids could have really gotten injured," Stephens said.
The Frisco Fire Department says an 8-year-old was also injured in the storm.
FC Dallas says the boy was hit by a static sign that was bolted onto one of the concourse concession stands.
He was taken to the hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening.
Dallas Weather: Businesses, homeowners cleaning up after Wednesday's severe storms
It was a rough night for some people in North Texas. Wednesday's storms flooded streets and homes and knocked down tree limbs and fences. Hail fell in some areas and the lights went out for thousands of customers.
Stephens says the head coach of FC Dallas called this afternoon and offered for him to come watch practice sometime soon.
The team says it did a thorough assessment of the venue on Thursday to process what happened and to ensure there are no further issues.
FC Dallas says they are in the process of continuing the investigation and making a report.
"We constantly review the facility in order to ensure that every visitor to Toyota Stadium has a safe, enjoyable experience and are committed to doing so regularly," the team said in a statement.