By Associated Press - Tuesday, May 6, 2014

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - A University of Illinois professor says his daughter is doing “reasonably well” after she was injured in a Rhode Island circus accident.

Wayne Pitard tells The News-Gazette (https://bit.ly/Rp8z7p) that daughter Samantha Pitard is “up and walking around” after the Sunday accident. Eight acrobats with Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circus were injured when an accident during a hair-hanging stunt sent them plummeting to the ground during a performance.

Samantha Pitard is a graduate of Centennial High School in Champaign. Her father says she’s been “overwhelmed by the support” she’s received since the accident.

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Samantha Pitard has worked with the circus for about a year and a half. She started as a clown.

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Information from: The News-Gazette, https://www.news-gazette.com

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