1 Dead 2 Injured In NFL Stadium Falls

09 Sep, 2013

Falls by fans at stadiums in San Francisco and Indianapolis during NFL season openers have left one man dead and two other people injured, authorities said.

At the 49ers’ game against the Packers at Candlestick Park Sunday, a man fell to his death from an elevated pedestrian walkway.

The death came just after kickoff in the San Francisco’s 34-28 win over Green Bay, police said, and multiple witnesses reported the man appeared to be intoxicated before he fell to a sidewalk.

The same day, a railing collapsed at the Colts’ game against the Raiders in Indianapolis injuring two unidentified fans who were leaning against the barrier above the tunnel leading to Oakland’s locker room.

One person was taken away on a stretcher, while another left in a wheelchair, witnesses said.

After the Colts 21-17 victory, Barney Levengood, executive director of the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium, issued a statement that said one of the people was released after receiving medical attention at the stadium. The other person was treated at the stadium and transported to Methodist Hospital for additional evaluation. Levengood said that the second fan did not appear to be seriously injured.

In San Francisco, police spokesman Gordon Shyy said off-duty medics and police officers gave the man first aid until an ambulance arrived, but he was declared dead from his injuries.

Authorities said he appeared to be in his 30s, and his name has not been released.

In a statement, 49ers spokesman Bob Lange confirmed the team had learned of the accident outside the stadium. “We would like to express our deepest condolences to the family during this difficult time,” he said in an email.

It was not clear how far the man fell from the Jamestown walkway, which goes around the outside of Candlestick.

AP

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