Current:Home > ScamsTaylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston -Mastery Money Tools
Taylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston
View
Date:2025-04-18 03:32:45
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! (252)
Related
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Deommodore Lenoir contract details: 49ers ink DB to $92 million extension
- Democratic state leaders prepare for a tougher time countering Trump in his second term
- Judge recuses himself in Arizona fake elector case after urging response to attacks on Kamala Harris
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- NCT DREAM enters the 'DREAMSCAPE': Members on new album, its concept and songwriting
- Family of security guard shot and killed at Portland, Oregon, hospital sues facility for $35M
- Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- Glen Powell Addresses Rumor He’ll Replace Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible Franchise
Ranking
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- After Baltimore mass shooting, neighborhood goes full year with no homicides
- Olivia Munn Randomly Drug Tests John Mulaney After Mini-Intervention
- Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group’s $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Panel advises Illinois commemorate its role in helping slaves escape the South
- Social media star squirrel euthanized after being taken from home tests negative for rabies
- Mississippi man charged with shooting 5 people after not being allowed into party
Recommendation
$73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
Deommodore Lenoir contract details: 49ers ink DB to $92 million extension
US inflation may have picked up in October after months of easing
Powerball winning numbers for November 11 drawing: Jackpot hits $103 million
DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands
'I heard it and felt it': Chemical facility explosion leaves 11 hospitalized in Louisville
Roster limits in college small sports put athletes on chopping block while coaches look for answers