Ranger Fan Falls From Second Deck Tuesday Night

Tuesday night at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, a fan fell from the second deck while trying to snag a foul ball, injuring himself and four other people.  It happened along the first base line in the bottom of the fifth inning during a game against the Cleveland Indians. The Rangers' Nelson Cruz smacked the ball into the first row of seats at the Club Level. The man tried to catch it before losing his balance and fell to the field deck about 30 ft below. The fan tried to grab the railing of the suites below his deck, but couldn’t. He continued to cartwheel through the air until he hit the ground.

 One of the first persons to come to the man's aid was Derek Dilday, an off-duty paramedic. Dilday reported that while he was breathing hard, there was no bleeding. "He was trying to move his neck, but I was trying to hold his neck, so movement is good and he seemed OK.” Dilday said.

Emergency personnel carried the unidentified man away about 8:35 p.m. He was hurried to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth for treatment. The fan that fell was stabilized, responsive, and moving all extremities. Four other people hurt in the incident were being treated at the Ballpark.

This is a bizarre case. It makes me wonder if maybe the railing was too short, which caused him to fall from the club level to the ground below. But I am sure that there are strict regulations on the height of such railings and that the railing met those requirements. All I know is that when I am near a railing such as that, I get extremely nervous. I  sure hope he recovers smoothly, as well as the other four injured in the incident.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have questions regarding accidnet and injury cases, please fill out our contact form for a free consultation.