Current:Home > InvestTaylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston -Keystone Wealth Vision
Taylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston
View
Date:2025-04-17 09:06:55
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! (5641)
Related
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Pac-12 might be resurrected, but former power conference is no longer as relevant
- Travis Kelce might have 'enormous' acting career after Ryan Murphy show 'Grotesquerie'
- Marley Brothers upholds father’s legacy with first tour in 2 decades
- Average rate on 30
- Ohio sheriff deletes online post about Harris supporters and their yard signs after upset
- Colin Farrell's 'Penguin' makeup fooled his co-stars: 'You would never know'
- Reinventing Anna Delvey: Does she deserve a chance on 'Dancing with the Stars'?
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Mariska Hargitay Says She Has Secondary Trauma From Law & Order: SVU
Ranking
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Bella Hadid Returns to the Runway at Paris Fashion Week After 2-Year Break From Modeling
- Gun violence leaves 3 towns in the South reeling
- Dancing With the Stars' Artem Chigvintsev Not Charged After Domestic Violence Arrest
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- Jury awards teen pop group OMG Girlz $71.5 million in battle with toy maker over “L.O.L.” dolls
- See Selena Gomez Return to Her Magical Roots in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’s Spellbinding Trailer
- GOP governor halts push to prevent Trump from losing one of Nebraska’s electoral votes
Recommendation
SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
Will Hurricane Helene emerge like a monster from the Gulf?
T.I. and Tameka Tiny Harris Win $71 Million in Lawsuit Against Toy Company
David Sedaris is flummoxed by this American anomaly: 'It doesn't make sense to me'
The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
Second US death from EEE mosquito virus reported in New York, residents warned
Evan Peters' Rare Reunion With One Tree Hill Costars Is a Slam Dunk
Family of Black World War II combat medic will finally receive his medal for heroism