A Dead & Company concert turned deadly on Friday when a fan fell off a balcony at New York’s Citi Field, The New York Daily News reports. A police source told the outlet that the victim, a man described as a Brooklyn resident in his 40s, “attempted a body flip, fell, and landed on the balcony below.” He reportedly fell 30-50 feet and hit the concrete head first. He died of his injuries after being taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital in Queens.
“I heard people going ‘ahhh’ and see people running. I said ‘bro, someone took a fucking header,” a witness told the New York Post.
A driver working outside the stadium also witnessed the man attempt a “flip” before falling to his death. “He was unresponsive and he hit the ground head first. There was no way he survived,” he said. “He was way too drunk. You could smell it.”
“His brother came downstairs and found out he jumped,” the driver added. “His brother was with him. He was crying.”
Dead & Company, the Grateful Dead offshoot that includes former members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann along with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti, kicked off a 31-date tour this week. The band has yet to acknowledge the tragic incident.
“We are aware of a tragic incident which sadly resulted in a fatality last night. Our deepest and heartfelt condolences go out to the attendee’s loved ones,” a spokesman for Citi Field told SPIN.
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