23-Year-Old Woman Dies in ‘Freak Accident’ While Leaving Utah Music Festival During Storm

A 23-year-old woman, Ava Ahlander, tragically died after being struck by debris blown by strong winds following the REDWEST Country Music Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah.

On Saturday, Oct. 11, Ahlander had returned to her car near 1055 W. North Temple after the festival was canceled due to severe weather, according to Fox 13 Salt Lake City. Officials told the outlet that a 2″x12″ scaffolding board from a nearby construction site was lifted by the wind and struck her as she stepped out of her car.

“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.”

Emergency responders arrived around 5:15 p.m., and Ahlander was transported to a hospital in critical condition, Fox 13 Salt Lake City and KSL TV reported.

Ahlander had traveled with friends from Seattle to attend the festival, but due to the worsening storm, attendees were instructed to take shelter, according to KUTV. Witnesses described concertgoers running to escape the heavy rain and lightning.

On Monday, her family confirmed that Ahlander had died from her injuries. Her uncle described the tragedy as a “freak accident,” explaining to KSLTV that while doctors briefly revived her, she was later placed on life support after losing all brain activity. She passed away after her family said their goodbyes.

“Ava was an absolute delight of a human being. Everyone loved her,” her family said in a statement to Fox 13 Salt Lake City. “She was an avid concertgoer and had flown in from Seattle to see Post Malone with her friends.”

A GoFundMe page has raised more than $16,700 toward its $18,000 goal to help cover the “cost of a memorial celebration, burial expenses, medical bills, and counseling services for those affected by Ava’s loss.”

The page also noted that “even in her passing, Ava continues to give the gift of life to others as an organ donor — a final act of generosity that reflects her caring nature and desire to help those in need.”