Current:Home > MarketsTaylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston -MoneyStream
Taylor Swift Fan Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Leaving Eras Tour Concert in Houston
View
Date:2025-04-16 02:23:27
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! (64)
Related
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Government Delays First Big U.S. Offshore Wind Farm. Is a Double Standard at Play?
- Republican attorneys general issue warning letter to Target about Pride merchandise
- Investors prefer bonds: How sleepy government bonds became the hot investment of 2022
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- What Does a Zero-Carbon Future Look Like for Transportation in Minnesota?
- Fortnite maker Epic Games will pay $520 million to settle privacy and deception cases
- This Is Not a Drill: Save $60 on the TikTok-Loved Solawave Skincare Wand That Works in 5 Minutes
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Facing an energy crisis, Germans stock up on candles
Ranking
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Biden cracking down on junk health insurance plans
- Ohio Governor Signs Coal and Nuclear Bailout at Expense of Renewable Energy
- After the Fukushima disaster, Japan swore to phase out nuclear power. But not anymore
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Kristen Stewart and Fiancée Dylan Meyer's New Film Will Have You Flying High
- Dwyane Wade Weighs In On Debate Over Him and Gabrielle Union Splitting Finances 50/50
- Video: Access to Nature and Outdoor Recreation are Critical, Underappreciated Environmental Justice Issues
Recommendation
Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
Fiancée speaks out after ex-boyfriend shoots and kills her husband-to-be: My whole world was taken away
As Rooftop Solar Rises, a Battle Over Who Gets to Own Michigan’s Renewable Energy Future Grows
Could New York’s Youth Finally Convince the State to Divest Its Pension of Fossil Fuels?
What to watch: O Jolie night
For the Ohio River Valley, an Ethane Storage Facility in Texas Is Either a Model or a Cautionary Tale
El Paso mass shooter gets 90 consecutive life sentences for killing 23 people in Walmart shooting
What Would It Take to Turn Ohio’s Farms Carbon-Neutral?