A 22-year-old man sustained life-threatening injuries after falling about 40 feet off a fourth-floor ramp outside Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday night at the ACC Championship between No. 13 Florida State and Georgia Tech in Charlotte, N.C.
Michael Stanford, the supervisor of special operations for Mecklenburg County EMS, said his agency responded to an incident in which a spectator fell from a ramp leading to the stands shortly after the 8 p.m. (EST) kickoff.
The fall was the first of its kind at the stadium, home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. The stadium opened in 1996.
Stanford said the spectator was transported by ground to the trauma center at Carolinas Medical Center with “life-threatening injuries.”
Major Eddie Levins of the Charlotte Police Dept. said officers are “investigating what is being referred to as a public accident. A 22-year old male fell from what is thought to be the fourth level of the stadium.”
They had no comment on the extent of his injuries.
Bank of America Stadium has switchbank ramps that take fans to the upper levels of the stands.
The man fell on to a grassy area, which was taped off by police. Witnesses were taken to the police office for questioning.
Bud Elliott, 47, from Fort Myers Fla., said he came across the accident just after it happened around kickoff and several fans were looking down from the ramps.
“I came upon a crowd of people who were running,” Elliott said. “They said this guy jumped or fell off. It didn’t look good. It’s just really sad to have something like that happen.”
BADGERS’ BALL NOW NO. 1
Wisconsin running back Montee Ball has broken one NCAA record and tied another.
The Football Bowl Subdivision’s career record-holder for touchdowns (81) became the career leader in rushing touchdowns (74) during the first half of the Badgers’ 70-31 Big Ten title game win over Nebraska in Indianapolis.
He also tied the mark for most career games with two or more scores (25). Ball broke the tie with Travis Prentice of Miami (Ohio) for rushing touchdowns on a 16-yard score midway through the second quarter.
He tied Prentice’s record for multi-TD games with a 9-yard run up the middle early in the third quarter.
Ball finished with 201 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
PITT PAIR SETS MARK
Ray Graham rushed for a pair of touchdowns and went over 1,000 yards to help Pittsburgh (6-6) become bowl eligible with a 27-3 Big East rout of South Florida.
Tino Sunseri threw for 211 yards and one TD for the Panthers to join Graham in giving Pitt a 3,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher in the same season for the first time in school history.
POLICE NAB SUSPECT
Baltimore police arrested a 20-year-old Washington, D.C., man in the nonfatal shooting of a Morgan State University football player. A police spokesmnan said Keith Robertson confessed to the shooting, which occurred around 1 p.m. Friday near a residence hall. The victim, 20-year-old Tyrell Okoro, is a sophomore offensive lineman for the Bears.
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