Philadelphia Eagles fan dies after celebratory fall
Tyler Sabapathy, an 18-year-old Philadelphia Eagles fan, tragically died after falling from a pole during celebrations for his team's NFC Championship victory. The university community mourns his loss.
A Philadelphia Eagles fan, Tyler Sabapathy, aged 18, has died after falling from a pole during wild celebrations following his team's NFC Championship victory.
Reports indicate that Sabapathy plunged to the ground in the hours after the Eagles secured their win against the Washington Commanders on Sunday. He was placed on life support after the incident before passing away in hospital on Tuesday night.
Witnesses shared with local media that he was attempting to take down an Eagles flag when the tragic fall occurred. "I guess he lost his balance and then fell," stated Nick Alessandro, recounting the event to the CBS affiliate KYW-TV.
Sabapathy, an avid gymnast from Canada, was a student at Temple University, majoring in exercise and sports science. He had achieved remarkable success, winning over 100 medals in various competitions, including regional and international events.
The college community has been left heartbroken following his passing. "The loss of a promising 18-year-old man like Tyler is both tragic and traumatic," said John Fry, president of Temple University. "There are no words that can make sense of it," he added, expressing the collective mourning of the Temple community.
The university gymnastics team remarked on Sabapathy's bright future and the tragedy of not witnessing his potential. "It is so tragic that we will not be able to see how he would have made his mark on the world," a statement from the team read.
Amidst the celebrations, chaos ensued on the streets of Philadelphia as the Eagles secured their second Super Bowl appearance in three years. The upcoming match sees the Eagles facing the Kansas City Chiefs, featuring stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, on February 9 in New Orleans.
The celebrations were marred by additional incidents, including a driver ramming into a crowd of fans, resulting in at least eight injuries. "Everybody dancing, getting along. Next thing you know, a car coming down and it's speeding and it hit 10 people," reported a witness to NBC affiliate WCAU. The driver, identified as 26-year-old Rebekah DeShields, was arrested on scene and is facing multiple charges, including driving without a license and reckless driving.
Cops confirmed that the injuries sustained by the victims were not life-threatening. In another instance of celebratory chaos, one fan discharged a firearm into the air, causing panic among the crowd. More than 30 individuals received citations, with some being ticketed for failing to disperse and two arrested for assaulting officers.
