A festivalgoer was killed outside a popular country music festival in Utah when she was struck by a piece of falling debris from a nearby construction site while fleeing from the intense weather.
Ava Ahlander was outside Redwest Music Festival at the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City when powerful gusts of wind ripped a large plank from a scaffold and sent it flying towards her, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
The 23-year-old was evacuating the fairgrounds with other attendees and three friends to find shelter from the high winds when the massive plank fell about 30 feet as she and her friends stepped out of her car — crushing her and her vehicle.
Ava Ahlander was killed while heading out of a popular country music festival in Utah when she was struck by a piece of falling debris from a nearby construction site while fleeing from the intense weather. GoFundMe
She was rushed to the hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries, police said.
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The young country music fan died from her injuries, a family representative told KSL on Monday.
Ahlander, who grew up in American Fork and had been living in Seattle, returned to the Beehive State with friends to enjoy the music festival and see Post Malone, her uncle, Bobby Ahlander wrote in a heartbreaking Facebook post.
“She just always loved having fun. It was really fun to be around her,” he told KSL.
“Honestly, it’s been excruciating. The grief and the sorrow, and of course, it’s such a big surprise; and it’s just such a huge loss.”
The young country music fan died from her injuries, her family revealed Monday. GoFundMe
Her uncle said, as his niece and her friends stood outside the vehicle, the plank hit her in what he called a “freak accident.”
Though first responders managed to revive her at the scene, doctors later found she had no brain activity, he revealed.
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Her family said she was kept on life support just long enough for them to say their goodbyes.
“Ava was a beautiful soul whose kindness, warmth, and adventurous spirit touched everyone around her,” family members wrote on a GoFundMe to help them with funeral and medical expenses, and to provide funds for her friends who witnessed the tragedy to attend grief counseling.
“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.”
Ahlander’s love for music was matched only by her love for the outdoors, the ocean, and her life in the Pacific Northwest, her uncle Bobby revealed to KSL.
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After graduating from American Fork High School, she headed to Oregon for college before settling in Seattle, where she’d fallen in love with her new surroundings.
“Ava was an absolute delight of a human being. Everyone loved her. She had the best smile,” her uncle wrote on Facebook.
As the Utah Jazz look to take on the Charlotte Hornets for their second of two meetings for the season, it’ll mark the first time that a familiar face, Collin Sexton, returns to the Delta Center since his offseason trade to the East Coast.
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Earlier in this past offseason, Sexton was sent to the Hornets along with a pair of future second-round picks in exchange for veteran center Jusuf Nurki. It was a deal that was a bit criticized from Utah’s perspective upon initially going down, but in the time since, has seen both players find their way into notable roles with their new squads.
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While Nurkic is listed as questionable to suit up for the action against his former team, Sexton seems ready to go against his, and could even start back in Utah after having previously done so in the Hornets’ latest game against the Indiana Pacers; a game they fell short in 112-114.
So, not only will Sexton be looking for a bounce-back win off a loss, but he could have an extra chip on his shoulder to perform well against his former team as well.
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Collin Sexton Returns to Utah as Jazz Take on Hornets
Sexton was a part of the Jazz for three seasons from 2022 to 2025 after initially coming aboard as a part of the extensive Donovan Mitchell and Lauri Markkanen trade as a sign-and-trade acquisition, and for the tenure that he was in Salt Lake City, was a pretty significant part of the roster––playing a total of 189 games, starting in 120 of them.
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In that time, Sexton averaged 17.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 48.8% from the field and 39.8% from three, being a consistent offensive piece in the backcourt next to a growing Keyonte George and, at the time, his fellow veteran guard, Jordan Clarkson.
However, the Jazz, during their latest offseason, made the inevitable shift to focus on their young talent in place of Sexton after three good years of being a core rotational piece, sending him to Charlotte for his third team since being drafted to the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2018.
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Nov 2, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Collin Sexton (8) on defense against Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
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Since being in Charlotte, Sexton has remained about as steady as he was in Utah––averaging 15.2 points a night on 48.3% from the field, paired with 2.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, filling in once again as a valuable locker room add and veteran teammate to help bring along the Hornets’ developing roster.
Last time he went up against the Jazz, it was on his new home floor in Charlotte, making for a pretty brutal game from the Jazz, as they were blown out by Sexton and the Hornets, 103-126 at the beginning of November, which also made for the first time Utah was without Walker Kessler after he was ruled out for the season due to shoulder surgery on a torn labrum.
The Jazz will try and even up their season series, looking a bit different from that two-month span, and will be forced to do so without the services of Lauri Markkanen (rest) and Ace Bailey (hip), thus giving a brighter green light for Keyonte George to have another explosive night scoring the ball, this time against his former teammate.
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WEBER COUNTY, Utah — She was a good Samaritan, stopping to help when she saw a crashed car, but tragically, that decision ended her life.
According to the Utah Highway Patrol, just before 6 a.m. on Friday, a man and woman were traveling along I-84 in Weber Canyon when they saw a crashed car on the side of the road.
They got out to help, but then they saw another car coming with its brakes locked up.
“The two individuals that were standing outside of the vehicle ran to avoid being hit. One went one direction, the other went towards the side of the barrier, jumped over the barrier, thinking it was solid on the other side, and fell in between the two bridge structures below,” said Corporal Eric Prescott with Utah Highway Patrol.
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Woman dies after falling over I-84 barrier while assisting accident in Weber Canyon
Woman dies after falling over I-84 barrier while assisting accident in Weber Canyon
Prescott said they were from out of town and didn’t know the area very well, and unfortunately, he’s seen this happen before.
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“About 15 years ago. I had another crash that occurred. Had 29 cars that were involved in a similar situation,” he said. “he stepped out to help, and he slipped on the barrier and fell.”
FOX 13 News asked if something could be fixed.
“We love that people want to help, but you also need to consider your safety also. So, it’s a pitch-black situation, you need to be cognizant and aware of like, hey, is this risk worth it of a vehicle that’s in the dark around the corner, no one’s going to be able to see you, and so you just have to weigh that risk,” Prescott said.
No other injuries were reported.
Prescott said they also have trauma resources available for the other drivers on the scene.
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“They didn’t do anything wrong, they were involved in a crash, the bridge was icy. Didn’t contribute anything to the death of this individual, but there’s still going to be those feelings that are going to be involved in it,” Prescott said. “We were able to give some information, these resources, to kind of help give them some closure, to help them to know that, hey, this wasn’t your fault.”
FOX 13 News visited gas stations and rest stops around the area, and while no one wanted to be on camera, each person said even after hearing the story, they would still want to get out and help someone in their time of need.
UHP stated that it takes them 24 hours to notify the next of kin, but they’re hoping to release the identification and other information about the investigation in the coming days.
Jackson has been writing about sports for the Deseret News since 2023.
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No. 9 BYU (14-1, 2-0) vs. Utah (8-7, 0-2)
Tip: Saturday, 8 p.m. MST
Venue: Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City
TV: ESPN
Streaming: espn.com/live
BYU radio broadcast: 102.7 FM/1160 AM/Sirius XM 143
Utah radio broadcast: 92.1 FM/700 AM
Series: Utahleads, 79-72 since 1949 (most recent meeting: 2025)
The trends
For BYU: 14-1 on the season, No. 10 in KenPom, averaging 88.2 points scored and 66.7 points allowed per game
For Utah: 8-7 on the season, No. 131 in KenPom, averaging 80.3 points scored and 80.1 points allowed per game
Players to watch
For BYU: Forward AJ Dybantsa, guard Richie Saunders, guard Robert Wright III
For Utah: Guard Terrance Brown, guard Don McHenry, forward Keanu Dawes
Utah forward Keanu Dawes (8) dunks the ball during a game against the Arizona Wildcats held at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
