Fans in the outfiled bleachers react to a fan who fell over the rail trying to catch a ball
For the most part, we consider sporting events to be safe, family-oriented places where memories and history happen before our very eyes; however, we also know that large crowds, angry (and alcohol-induced) behavior, steep seats and barely-there railings have caused many fans to lose their lives. Some call it a freak accident, others call it preventable. Here are the 10 strangest sports fan deaths:
- Shannon Stone: The most recent shocking sports death occurred on July 7, when Texas Rangers fan Shannon Stone fell 20 feet headfirst onto the concrete while trying to catch a baseball tossed to him by the All-Star outfielder Josh Hamilton. The 39-year-old firefighter from Brownwood, Texas, was at Arlington Stadium with his 6-year-old son when he tragically fell. Stone was conscious after landing and told paramedics about his son who was still in the stands before being taken to the hospital and pronounced dead within an hour. Blunt force trauma from the fall was the cause of death. This tragic incident raises questions about stadium safety across the country.
- Brittanie Cecil: In 2002, teen hockey fan Brittanie Cecil died after being hit in the head by a flying puck during a Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames game. The 13-year-old was sitting behind the goal and about 15 rows above the ice when Columbus center Espen Knutsen’s slap shot deflected off a stick and struck Cecil in the forehead. Cecil passed away two days later after enduring a rare injury to an artery that runs from the spine to the back of the brain. After the tragedy that marked the first spectator death in NHL history, the league made it mandatory to have protective netting above the glass and behind the goals.
- Antonio Nararainsami: Antonio Nararainsami, a 36-year-old father, tragically died after falling over the side of an escalator and landing more than 30 feet below during a Mets game at Shea Stadium. According to relatives who also attended the game, Nararainsami was not intoxicated, but simply lost his footing and fell over the handrail as he was walking down the escalator. Nararainsami was taken to New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens where he died from severe head injuries.
- NHRA Fan: Last year, an unidentified female spectator died at a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) race in Chandler, AZ, after she was hit by a loose tire. The tire flew off a dragster driven by Antron Brown and went across the left lane and bouncing into the crowd. The unidentified woman was airlifted to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
- Port-Au-Prince Soccer Fans: An estimated 50 people were tragically killed at a Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, soccer match in 2005. During the U.S.-backed “Play for Peace” soccer game, hooded policemen and civilians armed with machetes stormed the crowd and began attacking thousands of spectators. The purpose of the match was to steer young people away from gang activity, but Haitian police and their civilian accomplices turned on their own people targeting those who were seen as “scum” and “bandits.”
- Wendy Lee Wismer Whitehead: Wendy Lee Wismer Whitehead was critically injured at a San Angelo Colts minor league baseball game after she was hit in the head by a line-drive hit. Her husband, Dr. William “Bo” Whitehead, and Colts trainers tended to her until paramedics arrived. The 39-year-old San Angelo, TX, resident was taken to the hospital where she died the next day from traumatic brain injury.
- Stuart Haverty: Stuart Haverty, a 23-year-old Woodstock, IL, man died after falling from a balcony at Soldier Field during the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles game. Haverty fell off a balcony that was in between two columns on the west side of the stadium and landed 35 feet below. Haverty was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead from multiple, deadly injuries. Although rumors had circulated that the avid Bears fan may have intentionally jumped off the balcony, police ruled his death an accident.
- Ghana Soccer Fans: At least 50 Ghana soccer fans were stampeded to death during a 2001 soccer match between two of the country’s best teams. A heated and close-scoring game between the Accra Hearts of Oak and the Kumasi Asante Kotoko caused fans to get angry and begin throwing bottles and chairs onto the field. The chaos escalated when police fired tear gas into the crowd and people began stampeding as they rushed to the gates.
- Victoria Snelgrove: In 2004, college student and Boston Red Sox fan Victoria Snelgrove was celebrating the team’s American League Championship Series victory outside of Fenway Park, when she was tragically shot by crowd-control gun fire. A projectile hit Snelgrove in the eye, causing her to bleed excessively. The large crowds blocked ambulances from being able to reach Snelgrove in time, and she was pronounced dead 12 hours later. The Boston police officers who were involved in the shooting did not face criminal charges.
- Justin Hayes: In 2008, 25-year-old Justin Hayes tragically died after falling down a stairwell at Turner Field during the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets game. According to police reports, the Cumming, GA, man had consumed alcohol and decided to slide down the hand rails when he fell an estimated 150 feet from the club level to the landing on the field level. Hayes was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital where he died from severe head injuries.
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