Current:Home > StocksTaylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston -Summit Capital Strategies
Taylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston
View
Date:2025-04-17 15:48:50
Taylor Swift's fans are saying "Long Live" to a fellow Swiftie.
Jacob Lewis, 20, died on April 22 after being hit by a suspected drunk driver while leaving a Taylor Swift concert, according to local outlet KPRC. He was reportedly driving back from the Eras Tour show in Houston, Texas with sister April Bancroft when they ran into car issues.
The 20-year-old was driving a Buick LaCrosse on South U.S. Highway 59 around 1:15 a.m. when the "vehicle became disabled," according to an April 24 press release from Houston police that didn't name the victim. Authorities said he stepped out to push their car when he was hit by Alan Bryant Hayes, 34, driving a Volkswagen Beetle. Lewis died at the scene.
Lewis' dad Steve Lewis told KPRC that Hayes "stopped and got out and helped my daughter pull my son, pull Jacob from under his driver-side tire." He said the alleged suspect then fled, adding, "Only after that did he get back in his car and drive off and leave."
Hayes was eventually taken into custody and charged with a DWI, as well as failure to stop and render aid, police said. E! News has reached out to Harris County police for lawyer information for Hayes but has not heard back.
In the wake of his death, Swift's fans have been coming together to pay their respects with $13 donations—the singer's lucky number—to Lewis' GoFundMe page, as well as share lyrics from her emotional songs "Long Live" and "Bigger Than the Whole Sky." The donations have surpassed $120,000 as of April 25.
Lewis' sister told KPRC how she was coping with the unimaginable loss of her brother. "It was the night I had been looking forward to for a very long time and turned for the absolute worst," Bancroft said. "What I hope will be the worst thing I have to live through."
She also reflected on the tragedy on Twitter, resharing a video of the siblings at the April 21 concert. "I cannot even describe the pain I feel at this moment for the loss of my brother," she tweeted. "We loved you so much @taylorswift13. Thank you for making this our last memory together."
In light of the support she's received from fans, Bancroft added, "I cannot express the overwhelming happiness and gratitude from every #Swiftie out there. Thank you thank you thank you. I will get to your messages eventually if I haven't already, your words have inspired me through my day so much."
Lewis was taking a gap year from Sam Houston State University when he died, according to KPRC. He was passionate about Pokémon, Dungeons & Dragons and the Black Lives Matter movement, per his Twitter page.
"He was a really talented actor and singer," Lewis' dad told CBS' KHOU11 News. "[He] loved being on stage and performing. He was a good friend to a lot of people around him and just a really good kid."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (49362)
Related
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- New Mexico looking for a new state Public Education Department secretary for K-12 schools
- What will Bronny James call LeBron on the basketball court? It's not going to be 'Dad'
- Newborn rattlesnakes at a Colorado ‘mega den’ are making their live debut
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Kentucky governor says lawmaker facing sexual harassment accusations should consider resigning
- Florida to execute man convicted of 1994 killing of college student in national forest
- Tropical systems Gilma and Hector have weakened but still pose threat to Hawaii
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Woman killed after wrench 'flew through' car windshield on Alabama highway: report
Ranking
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Claim to Fame Finale Reveals Real Housewife's Brother: Find Out Who Won
- Ballot measures in 41 states give voters a say on abortion and other tough questions
- Krispy Kreme offers a dozen doughnuts for $2 over Labor Day weekend: See how to redeem
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Zappos Labor Day 60% Off Sale: Insane Deals Start at $10 Plus $48 Uggs, $31 Crocs & $60 On Cloud Sneakers
- 1 person taken to a hospital after turbulence forces Cancun-to-Chicago flight to land in Tennessee
- Biden Administration Backs Plastic as Coal Replacement to Make Steel. One Critic Asks: ‘Have They Lost Their Minds?’
Recommendation
'Most Whopper
Boxes of french fries covered Los Angeles highway after crash, causing 6-hour long cleanup
Pregnant Brittany Mahomes Details Lesson Learned After Back Injury
Scooter Braun jokes he wasn't invited to Taylor Swift's party: 'Laugh a little'
'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov says he had over 100 kids. The problem with anonymous sperm donation.
Nikki Glaser set to host 2025 Golden Globes, jokes it might 'get me canceled'
Lamont nominates Justice Raheem L. Mullins to become next chief justice of Connecticut Supreme Court