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Man injured in fight; co-worker is charged
By MATTHEW WAITE © St. Petersburg Times, published March 26, 2001 HUDSON -- Lance Storeygard and Robert Ludwig came to town last week to work carnival rides for Farrow Amusements' eight-day stay in Pasco. After a fight that started over drinks at a bar Friday night, they won't be going to the next stop even though the carnival left town Sunday. After a fight about a jukebox, Storeygard, 52, was on life support Sunday at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg. Ludwig, 44, was in jail in Land O'Lakes, charged with attempted second-degree murder According to a Pasco County Sheriff's Office report, early Friday morning the two were at Bobkatz Bar near the carnival, which had set up at U.S. 19 and Beacon Woods Drive. The two men started arguing over the jukebox and were told to leave. Bar workers had to separate the two in the parking lot. The fight continued across U.S. 19 in the parking lot of the Draft Zone. Ludwig told deputies that Storeygard confronted him there, punching him in the face, knocking his eyeglasses to the ground and then stepping on them. Ludwig said he left and went back to the carnival. Storeygard followed him, and in front of Storeygard's trailer the fight resumed. Ludwig told deputies that Storeygard threated to stab him with a screwdriver. Several witnesses told investigators that Ludwig picked up a 2-by-4 and hit Storeygard with it. Witnesses said they watched as Ludwig hit Storeygard in the head with the board a half-dozen times while he lay on the ground. After witnesses broke up the fight around 2 a.m., Ludwig told deputies,he went into his trailer and went to sleep. At 10:30 a.m., paramedics got a call about a man down at the carnival. They found Storeygard unresponsive and with a weak pulse. Deputies found Ludwig of Hedgesville, W.Va., in his trailer and arrested him on a charge of attempted second-degree murder. He was being held on $50,000 bail Sunday night. Storeygard was in intensive care at Bayfront Medical Center in critical condition, hospital officials said. Bob Gill, the general manager of Farrow Amusements, said Storeygard was a "good guy" who had been with the company for three years. He said the carnival would go on without the two men. "We lose employees every day," he said. "That's just part of the nature of the business. It's just like somebody didn't show up for work. "It happens. Two guys got in a fight. They went to a bar and had a few drinks. I guess it just got out of hand. "I guess alcohol does strange things to people." - Staff writer Matthew Waite can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6247 or (800) 333-7505, ext. 6247. His e-mail address is waite@sptimes.com.
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