Post Malone Fan Dies After Freak Accident At Utah Music Festival
A Post Malone fan died after being struck by debris during a storm that forced the cancellation of the rapper’s headlining set in Utah.
A 23-year-old Post Malone fan from Seattle tragically died after being struck by debris during a storm that forced the cancellation of the rapper’s headlining set at Utah’s REDWEST festival on Saturday (October 11).
According to FOX 13, Ava Ahlander was struck by a large piece of construction debris during an emergency evacuation at the Salt Lake City event. Organizers had issued a shelter-in-place order via the festival’s app as high winds and dangerous weather moved in.
Ahlander, who had traveled from Seattle to see Post Malone perform, had returned to her car to wait out the storm but was hit by a 2×12-inch board that had blown loose from a nearby construction site.
“It just hit her in the head… in the neck” 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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Ahlander was rushed to a local hospital with critical injuries. Her family confirmed her death Monday evening (October 13).
The three-day REDWEST festival, now in its second year, featured a lineup that included Post Malone, Kacey Musgraves and Noah Kahan.
Saturday’s programming was canceled due to the severe weather, cutting off Post Malone’s anticipated performance at the Utah State Fairpark.
Ahlander’s family described her as a devoted music lover who had flown in specifically to attend the festival with friends.
“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.”
A GoFundMe campaign created to help with funeral and medical expenses has surpassed its $15,000 goal, raising over $25,000. The family stated that any remaining funds will go toward a charity in her name.
“Ava was a beautiful soul whose kindness, warmth, and adventurous spirit touched everyone around her,” the family wrote. “She continues to help others as an organ donor — a final act of generosity that truly reflects her caring nature.”
Post Malone, who recently launched a Nashville bar called Posty’s and is currently on his “Big Ass Stadium Tour,” has not publicly addressed the incident. He was scheduled to close out Saturday night’s show before the storm forced the evacuation.
