A young festivalgoer has died after being struck by debris from a nearby construction site outside the Redwest Music Festival in Utah.
Ava Ahlander, 23, was standing outside of the country music festival when a large plank from scaffolding was lifted from strong winds.
The young woman was beside her car when the plank fell from about 30 feet, crushing Ahlander and her vehicle, Salt Lake Police Lt. Leigh Willis told KSL.
Ahlander was initially rushed to hospital in critical condition but didn't survive her injuries, her family confirmed in a GoFundMe.
'Ava was a beautiful soul whose kindness, warmth, and adventurous spirit touched everyone around her.
'Even in her passing, Ava continues to give the gift of life to others as an organ donor—a final act of generosity that truly reflects her caring nature and desire to help those in need,' the fundraiser said.
Funds raised are set to be used to help her family with medical bills, funeral expenses, a memorial celebration of life and counselling for 'those affected by this loss.'
As of Monday evening, the fundraiser had garnered over $6,300.
Any leftover donations are set to be donated to charity in Ava's name, her family wrote, to extend 'her legacy of compassion.'
According to her uncle, Bobby, Ahlander was an 'avid concert goer' who had flown in from Seattle to see Post Malone with her friends.
'As you can imagine, this was absolutely devastating news and I am grief stricken. Ava was an absolute delight of a human being. Everyone loved her. She had the best smile,' he wrote on Facebook.
The Redwest Music Festival was set to take place from Friday October 10 until Sunday October 12.
Headliners, such as Post Malone and Noah Kahan were set to take the stage before it was cancelled on its second of the three day festival.
Severe storms resulted in organizers halted the event just before 5.15pm on Saturday and urged festivalgoers to take their belongings and find shelter, Fox 13 reported.
Winds of up to 60mph were reported as Tropical Storm Priscilla, downgraded from a hurricane, battered areas of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado over the weekend with heavy rains.
While some festival attendees patiently waited for the show to resume, organizers eventually cancelled the Saturday shows altogether at around 9.40pm.
'For the safety of our fans, artists, and staff, we are unable to continue with today’s programming. Conditions at the festival site are currently unsafe to proceed,' an Instagram post read.
'We’re truly sorry and appreciate your patience and understanding. Please stay tuned to our social channels and check your email for further updates and next steps.'
A follow up post assured Saturday ticket holders that their tickets would be honored on Sunday as another announcement came that Sunday's show would continue on as planned.
