Current:Home > InvestTaylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston -MoneyBase
Taylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston
View
Date:2025-04-17 04:35:34
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! (1)
Related
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Family Dollar issues huge recall for over-the-counter drugs, medical devices in 23 states
- Kansas becomes the 10th state to require 2-person train crews, despite the industry’s objections
- Grassley pushes Biden administration for information on gun trafficking into Mexico after CBS Reports investigation
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- How Val Chmerkovskiy Feels About Being in Throuple With Wife Jenna Johnson and Tyson Beckford
- 13-year-old Texas boy convicted of murder in fatal shooting at a Sonic Drive-In, authorities say
- 2 Guatemalan migrants were shot dead in Mexico near US border. Soldiers believed to be involved
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Kansas escapes postseason ban, major penalties as IARP panel downgrades basketball violations
Ranking
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Arkansas AG sets ballot language for proposal to drop sales tax on diapers, menstrual products
- “Addictive” social media feeds that keep children online targeted by New York lawmakers
- Gaza is tiny and watched closely by Israel. But rescuing hostages there would be a daunting task
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Ex-NFL Player Sergio Brown Arrested in Connection With His Mom's Death
- Are terrorists trying to enter the U.S. through the southern border? Here are the facts.
- Remains found in Arizona desert in 1982 identified as man who left home to search for gold in Nevada
Recommendation
San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
Social media is awash in misinformation about Israel-Gaza war, but Musk’s X is the most egregious
Why Jesse Palmer Definitely Thinks There Will Be a Golden Bachelorette
'Frasier' returns to TV: How Kelsey Grammer's reboot honors original with new cast and bar
Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
How AI can fuel financial scams online, according to industry experts
In 'Dicks: The Musical', broad jokes, narrow audience
Vermont police release sketch of a person of interest in the killing of a retired college dean