A 23 year-old woman died after she was struck by debris at the Redwest country music festival in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was seeking shelter from a storm on Saturday evening when she was hit.
The woman was identified as Ava Ahlander. The storm brought strong winds and heavy rain, prompting the organizers of the festival to postpone the rest of the event.
All attendees were instructed to evacuate and seek shelter. Ahlander was struck by a plank of scaffolding that broke loose from a construction nearby.
According to police, Ahlander was seeking cover in a car parked near the construction area. Ahlander had stepped outside the car and was then hit by the board. She was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died Monday night.
Ahlander, who had been living in Seattle, traveled back to her home state specifically to see her favorite artist, Noah Kahan, at the Redwest music festival.
Her uncle, Bobby Ahlander said, “It just hit her. It could have just as easily missed her [and] hit her friend who was holding the door for her.”
The Police have confirmed that the accident happened outside the festival area and was unrelated to on-site structures. The department is continuing to investigate the incident along with city officials and representatives from the construction company.
The Redwest festival resorted to cancelling the rest of the Saturday’s performances due to safety concerns. No other injuries associated with the festival were reported.
Funeral services for Ahlander were planned by her family, who described her as energetic and passionate about live music. A GoFundMe page was created to assist with expenses and has surpassed $25,000 in donations.
Author: Brynn Smith
Photo courtesy of GoFundMe
Editor: Hannah Clove
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