Featured Image Credit: @_MLFootball/X
Topics: Baseball
Josh Lawless
man has been charged with buying alcohol for an underage fan who suffered a horrific 21 foot all from the stands at a baseball game in Pittsburgh.
The Major League Baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs, where the hosts won 4-3, was overshadowed by the shocking moment the spectator fell from the bleachers and onto the warning track below in the seventh inning.
Kavan Markwood, 20, immediately received treatment from emergency services and both teams' medical staff as concerned players prayed for him after the terrifying incident.
In a new development, it Markwood's friend, 21-year-old Ethan Kirkwood, is facing criminal charges for reportedly supplying him with two beers inside the stadium.
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According to a Pennsylvania State Police complaint accessed by WTAE-TV, as per The Athletic, Kirkwood admitted to purchasing the beer for Markwood, who is not yet of the legal age to drink in the United States.
As per the complaint, police looked at CCTV footage which showed Kirkwood buying two 24-ounce cans of Miller Lite before the two friends were seen holding and drinking the beers.
A 20-year-old fan Kavan Markwood suffered a horrific fall at PNC Park (Image: @_MLFootball/X)
Further footage from an hour later showed him bringing two more alcoholic cans to the seated ballpark area, prior to the fall and Kirkwood jumping over a railing and onto the field to attend to his friend.
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According to ABC News, the girlfriend of Markwood is believed to have confirmed to police that he had consumed two beers.
A preliminary hearing will take place on June 23, with this another alcohol-related incident from Kirkwood - who pleaded guilty over two different public drunkenness cases from January and February of 2023 when he purchased alcohol while underage.
Having been taken to Allegheny General Hospital in a critical condition, Markwood is said to have suffered a broken neck as well as injuries to his clavicle and back.
However, he began to walk again just a week on from the accident and underwent physical recovery.
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The mother of his girlfriend, Jennifer Phillips, set up a GoFundMe page which has racked up $67,770 in donations to go towards medical bills and any "financial hardships".
Providing an update on Markwood, she said that he is "showing real strength" and that the family are "staying hopeful for a smooth recovery".