Current:Home > MyTaylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston -WealthRoots Academy
Taylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston
View
Date:2025-04-12 04:47:28
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! (647)
Related
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Despite Capitol Hill Enthusiasm for Planting Crops to Store Carbon, Few Farmers are Doing It, Report Finds
- New study finds PFAS forever chemicals in drinking water from 45% of faucets across U.S.
- Proof Jennifer Coolidge Is Ready to Check Into a White Lotus Prequel
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- Animals Can Get Covid-19, Too. Without Government Action, That Could Make the Coronavirus Harder to Control
- Mother singer Meghan Trainor welcomes second baby with husband Daryl Sabara
- World Is Not on Track to Meet UN’s 2030 Sustainable Energy Goals
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Meta's Twitter killer app Threads is here – and you can get a cheat code to download it
Ranking
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- How the Marine Corps Struck Gold in a Trash Heap As Part of the Pentagon’s Fight Against Climate Change
- Energy Execs’ Tone on Climate Changing, But They Still See a Long Fossil Future
- Power Companies vs. the Polar Vortex: How Did the Grid Hold Up?
- Trump's 'stop
- 100% Renewable Energy Needs Lots of Storage. This Polar Vortex Test Showed How Much.
- Sporadic Environmental Voters Hold the Power to Shift Elections and Turn Red States Blue
- Climate Change Ravaged the West With Heat and Drought Last Year; Many Fear 2021 Will Be Worse
Recommendation
US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
Sanders Unveils $16 Trillion Green New Deal Plan, and Ideas to Pay for It
Elite runner makes wrong turn just before finish line, costing her $10,000 top prize
Trump May Approve Strip Mining on Tennessee’s Protected Cumberland Plateau
Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
In the Sunbelt, Young Climate Activists Push Cities to Cut Emissions, Whether Their Mayors Listen or Not
In the Sunbelt, Young Climate Activists Push Cities to Cut Emissions, Whether Their Mayors Listen or Not
This Review of Kim Kardashian in American Horror Story Isn't the Least Interesting to Read