Current:Home > FinanceTaylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston -EquityExchange
Taylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston
View
Date:2025-04-15 19:02:04
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! (49574)
Related
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Hunter Biden offers to testify publicly before Congress, setting up a potential high-stakes face-off
- Beware, NFL coaches: Panthers' job vacancy deserves a major warning label
- France to ban smoking on beaches as it seeks to avoid 75,000 tobacco-related deaths per year
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- North Korea restores border guard posts as tensions rise over its satellite launch, Seoul says
- Women falls to death down a well shaft hidden below rotting floorboards in a South Carolina home
- Massive crocodile sighting: Watch 14-foot 'Croczilla' in Florida Everglades
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Erdogan to visit Budapest next month as Turkey and Hungary hold up Sweden’s membership in NATO
Ranking
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- More than 303,000 Honda Accords, HR-V recalled over missing seat belt piece
- Pope punishes leading critic Cardinal Burke in second action against conservative American prelates
- Tribal police officer arrested in connection to a hit-and-run accident in Arizona
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- Reba McEntire gets emotional on 'The Voice' with Super Save singer Ms. Monét: 'I just love ya'
- Nikki Haley lands endorsement from Koch brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity PAC
- Ohio State slips out of top five in the latest NCAA Re-Rank 1-133
Recommendation
Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
Where to watch 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' this holiday
Rescuers begin pulling out 41 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in India for 17 days
This dad wanted a stress-free Christmas tradition for his kids. So he invented one.
In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
Elevator drops 650 feet at a platinum mine in South Africa, killing 11 workers and injuring 75
A Pakistani court orders public trial for imprisoned ex-premier Khan on charge of revealing secrets
Jennifer Garner Celebrates Ex Michael Vartan's Birthday With Alias Throwback