Current:Home > MyTaylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston -TradeWise
Taylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston
Surpassing Quant Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-07 13:12:50
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! (21255)
Related
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- Ohio town cancels cultural festival after furor over Haitians
- A Kentucky lawmaker has been critically injured in lawn mower accident
- MLB power rankings: Yankees, Aaron Judge get comfortable in AL East penthouse
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- America’s Got Talent Alum Emily Gold Dead at 17
- Sofia Vergara's Stunning 2024 Emmys Look Included This $16 Beauty Product
- Get $336 Worth of Tarte Makeup for $55 & More Deals on Top-Sellers Like Tarte Shape Tape & Amazonian Clay
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Polaris Dawn was a mission for the history books: Look back at the biggest moments
Ranking
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- Giants' Heliot Ramos becomes first right-handed batter to hit homer into McCovey Cove
- Could YOU pass a citizenship test?
- Judge rules Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name will stay on Wisconsin ballot
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- Tito Jackson, member of the Jackson 5, has died at 70, his sons say
- 2 charged in case of illegal exports for Russian nuclear energy
- Apple is launching new AI features. What do they mean for your privacy?
Recommendation
Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
Two ex-fire chiefs in New York City charged in corruption scandal
Anna Kendrick Says A Simple Favor Director Paul Feig Made Sequel “Even Crazier”
Can noncitizens vote in Pennsylvania elections?
North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
Fantasy football buy low, sell high: 10 trade targets for Week 3
Colleges in Springfield, Ohio, move to online instruction after threats targeting Haitians
A Waffle House customer fatally shot a worker, police say