Taylor Swift‘s fans are rallying around the family of Jacob Lewis who was tragically struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver as Lewis was leaving the singer’s show Friday night in Houston.
Lewis, 20, was hit while attempting to push his vehicle on the side of the road after he and his sister experienced car troubles on the way home from The Eras Tour.
Houston Police said Alan Bryant, 34, hit the pair and fled the scene only to be followed by a Good Samaritan tow truck driver who watched the collision occur.
Since the fatal crash, fans of the ‘Lover’ singer have come together to remember one of their own, posting hundreds of tributes and raising thousands of dollars to help Lewis’ family lay him to rest.
A GoFundMe page has raised more than $60,000 in a day from 4,000 donations, hundreds of which come from ‘Swifties’ donating $13 – Taylor’s lucky number – and leaving song lyrics to commemorate his life.
Taylor Swift ‘s fans are rallying around the family of Jacob Lewis who was tragically struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver as Lewis was leaving the singer’s show Friday night
Lewis, 20, was hit while attempting to push his vehicle on the side of the road after he and his sister experienced car troubles on the way home from The Eras Tour in Houston
Houston Police said Alan Bryant, 34, hit the pair and fled the scene only to be followed by a Good Samaritan tow truck driver who watched the collision occur
In the comments of a GoFundMe for Lewis’ family, Swift’s fans are donating $13 – Taylor’s lucky number – and leaving song lyrics to commemorate his life
Lewis and his sister, April Bancroft, had pulled off to the shoulder of the roadway upon experiencing vehicle trouble late Friday night after leaving NRG Stadium.
The 20-year-old musical theater student got out to start pushing but was instantly struck by the suspected drunk driver.
‘You know, to make it worse, the driver (Bryant) got out, helped my daughter get my son out from under his car, saw what had happened and got in his car and left,’ Jacob’s dad, Steve Lewis, told KHOU.
Police said officers were called to assist and Bryant was arrested after having been followed by the tow truck driver who witnessed the incident.
The grieving father said his son was a force for good and loved video games, story telling, and musical theater. Lewis also qualified for the Pokémon world championship three times, the dad said.
In a post on Facebook, Steve said he will remember his son as a ‘loving and faithful young man who was loyal to his family and friends.’
‘His last act was to push his sister to safety on a dark street. There is no way to describe the magnitude of this loss and the emptiness left in our hearts,’ he continued.
In a separate post, Lewis’ mother Karyn Sobczak Lewis said her son was taken ‘too soon’ and that she believed he ‘would do great things in his life.’
‘He was the best son a mother could ask for. He was always willing to help, tolerated my tendency to be overreaching at times, and filled my days with joy. He was my baby and so much like me. A true mama’s boy, but he loved it!’ she wrote.
Lewis’ parents thanked the public for their support and for their well wishes for their daughter, who was injured but is expected to survive.
Since his arrest, Bryant has been charged with failure to stop and render aid and other charges are possible, police said.
Lewis and his sister, April Bancroft, had pulled off to the shoulder of the roadway upon experiencing vehicle trouble late Friday night after leaving NRG Stadium
The 20-year-old musical theater student got out to start pushing but was instantly struck by the suspected drunk driver
In a post on Facebook, Steve said he will remember his son as a ‘loving and faithful young man who was loyal to his family and friends’
Jacob Lewis (left) with his parents Karyn Sobczak Lewis (center) and Steve Lewis (right)
In a separate post, Lewis’ mother Karyn Sobczak Lewis said her son was taken ‘too soon’ and that she believed he ‘would do great things in his life.’
Steve Lewis said his son was a force for good and loved video games, story telling, and musical theater. Lewis also qualified for the Pokémon world championship three times
Jacob has since been commemorated by the singer’s fans who came together during a time of need to support his family.
In the days after Lewis’ death, dozens of Taylor Swift fan accounts have shared the young man’s story along with the link to a GoFundMe for his funeral expenses.
‘Jacob Lewis, A Swiftie who went to @taylorswift13’s ‘The Eras Tour’ last night passed away due to car accident hit by a drunk driver,’ wrote a Twitter user who identifies as ‘Taylor Swift Facts.’
That account has more than 100,000 followers and their tweet has been viewed some 835,000 times.
Another account called ‘Taylor Swift Updates’ with 262,000 followers shared Lewis’ story along with the link to the GoFundMe for his family.
Swift fans were eager to shower Lewis’ family in love and support, even getting ‘Rip Jacob’ trending on Twitter Monday afternoon.
‘Seeing RIP JACOB trending made me cry so much. The way the fandom pulled together to sending his family and friends love, money and support at this time is so beautiful,’ wrote one Twitter user who goes by Allie.
‘Sometimes this fandom can in fact be magical. I love y’all. Hope his family gets justice for what happened,’ Allie continued.
Fans also showed their support in the comments of the GoFundMe started over the weekend.
A GoFundMe page has raised more than $60,000 with hundreds of donations from ‘Swifties’
Jacob (at the Eras Tour with his sister) has since been commemorated by the singer’s fans who came together during a time of need to support his family
In the days after Lewis’ death, dozens of Taylor Swift fan accounts have shared the young man’s story along with the link to a GoFundMe for his funeral expenses
Another account called ‘Taylor Swift Updates’ with 262,000 followers shared Lewis’ story along with the link to the GoFundMe for his family
Since being created, the fundraiser has brought in more than $60,000 and has received hundreds of comments.
‘Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you,’ wrote one Swiftie who donated $13, quoting Swift’s song ‘New Year’s Day.’
‘You were bigger than the whole sky… you were more than just a short time,’ one donor wrote, using lyrics from ‘Bigger Than the Whole Sky.’
‘The night you danced like you knew our lives would never be the same,’ wrote another, quoting ‘Long Live.’
‘The stars in your eyes shined brighter than tupelo,’ another Swiftie responded, using a ‘Dorothea’ quote.
‘And just like a folk song, your love will be passed on,’ wrote one more, sharing lyrics from ‘Seven.’
Swift herself has not publicly spoken out about the death as of Monday afternoon.
