A Taylor Swift fan was killed by a suspected drunk driver while on his way home from the singer’s concert in Houston.
Twenty-year-old Jacob Lewis attended Swift’s concert with his sister, April Bancroft, who bought the tickets for him as a Christmas gift, she told Rolling Stone.
When the two were headed home in the early hours of Saturday morning, they suffered car trouble. Lewis exited the vehicle and pushed it to the shoulder, while his sister remained in the car. As Lewis attempted to push the car toward a nearby exit, he was struck by a vehicle operated by 34-year-old Alan Bryant Hayes, who fled the scene, according to Houston police.
Police said Lewis was pronounced dead at the scene. Hayes was charged in the fatal hit-and-run crash with felony driving while intoxicated and failure to stop and render aid.
Taylor Swift fans have flooded Lewis’ family with supportive messages on social media, and made countless donations, many in the amount of $13 to represent the singer’s lucky number.
The GoFundMe set up for Lewis has raised nearly $126,000 as of midday Wednesday.
Miguel Andrade / GoFundMe
"I cannot even describe the pain I feel at this moment for the loss of my brother," Bancroft tweeted, thanking Swift for their last memory together. She also took to Twitter to thank fellow Swifties for their support.
His father, Steve Lewis, shared a tribute on Facebook, painting a picture of his son who excelled in theater, choir and dance, and loved reading and video games. Steve said his son was also passionate about his studies, friends and comic books, and even qualified for the Pokémon World Championships three times, a trading card game that would bring him to compete against players from all over the world.
Steve said he and his family had looked forward to the successes and adventures to come for his son.
"Jacob will be remembered as a loving and faithful young man who was loyal to his family and friends. His last act was to push his sister to safety on a dark street. There is no way to describe the magnitude of this loss and the emptiness left in our hearts," Steve said in a Facebook post.
