A woman later identified as Ava Ahlander died in a tragic accident over the weekend while attending a Utah country music festival to see Post Malone.
As reported by FOX 13, the 23-year-old sustained critical injuries after REDWEST organizers evacuated the Salt Lake City event on Saturday, October 11th, due to severe weather. Tens of thousands of attendees were notified via the festival’s app to seek shelter. Ahlander had gone to her car to ride out the storm and was struck by a 2×12-inch scaffolding board from a nearby construction site after stepping out of the vehicle.
Paramedics transported Ahlander to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, and her family confirmed on Monday that she had passed away. “It just hit her in the head… in the neck. It was hard. It was fast,” her uncle Bobby Ahlander told KUTV. “The doctors said after they were able to get her stable and do a CT scan that it basically crushed her brain stem.”
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“Ava was an absolute delight of a human being. Everyone loved her,” the family said in a statement to FOX 13. “She was an avid concert goer and had flown in from Seattle to go see Post Malone with her friends.”
Ahlander’s family launched a GoFundMe to cover memorial, burial, and medical expenses, as well as counseling for those affected by her loss. Having surpassed its initial $15,000 goal, any remaining funds will be donated to a charity in her name.
“Ava was a beautiful soul whose kindness, warmth, and adventurous spirit touched everyone around her,” they added in the description. “Even in her passing, Ava continues to give the gift of life to others as an organ donor — a final act of generosity that truly reflects her caring nature and desire to help those in need.”
As of publishing, Post Malone has not released a public statement addressing the tragic accident.