Current:Home > MarketsTaylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston -ValueCore
Taylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston
View
Date:2025-04-19 15:32:16
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! (7)
Related
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- New York will automatically seal old criminal records under law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul
- Ex-sergeant pleads guilty to failing to stop fatal standoff with man in mental health crisis
- Swifties, Travis Kelce Is Now in the Singing Game: Listen to His Collab With Brother Jason
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- Oakland mourns Athletics' move, but owner John Fisher calls it a 'great day for Las Vegas'
- Families of 5 Minnesota men killed by police sue agency to force release of investigation files
- Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of years of rape and abuse by singer Cassie in lawsuit
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Hungary qualifies for Euro 2024 with own-goal in stoppage time in match marred by violence
Ranking
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Building partially collapses in southern Russia, sparking search for any trapped survivors
- Details Revealed on Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's Baby Boy Rocky Thirteen
- Kaitlin Armstrong found guilty in 2022 shooting death of cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- Judge rules against tribes in fight over Nevada lithium mine they say is near sacred massacre site
- MLB cancels 2025 Paris games after failing to find promoter, AP sources say
- Inspired by a 1990s tabloid story, 'May December' fictionalizes a real tragedy
Recommendation
Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
'The Crown' shines in its final season — just remember it's not the History Channel
Canadian man convicted of murder for killing 4 Muslim family members with his pickup
Officials investigate cause of Atlantic City Boardwalk fire that damaged facade of Resorts casino
Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
Starbucks Red Cup Day is sheer stress for workers. We're going on strike because of it.
Nevada to pay $340,000 in settlement over prison firefighting conditions
New York lawmakers demand Rep. George Santos resign immediately