Utah
Concertgoer dies in ‘freak accident’ at Utah music festival to see Post Malone
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.
She was rushed to the hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries, police said.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
Southern Utah shipment is part of the faith’s yearlong celebration of the Declaration of Independence.
(Mark Eddington | The Salt Lake Tribune) Movers load part of a donation of 20,000 pounds of food to Switchpoint’s St. George food pantry by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Thursday, March 5, 2026.
Schmaltz’s 24 goals this season are a new career-high. He’s been a consistently strong presence and has taken on more responsibility with the switch from wing to center. His goal on the power play came just eight seconds into the man-advantage and opened the scoring early in the second period. In addition to his goal, he had an assist on Utah’s second goal of the game. Tourigny discussed Schmaltz’s maturity following the win.
“He’s a mature person, mature man,” Tourigny explained. “He really wants to make a difference. I always say about Schmaltz, (he’s) a gamer. He wants to play in those moments, and I think he’s excited about where our team is at, and he wants to be a big part of it, and he is. He’s a huge leader for us.”
Utah held Philadelphia to 16 total shots: four in the first period, seven in the second, and five in the third. The Mammoth showed their strong defensive game in the win.
“I think that’s when we’re at our best, when we’re defending hard,” Schmaltz said. “We’re playing with a lot of pace, not giving them time and space, frustrating them, and making them force plays, and then we turn it over and go the other way.”
On the flip side, against a stingy Philadelphia defense, Utah generated 23 shots including 14 in the second period. Schmaltz spoke to what led to the increased opportunities in the middle frame.
“A little bit more direct,” Schmaltz shared. “I think our transition game was really good. We were catching them, kind of hemming them in. Good line changes and just rolling them over and shooting a little bit more.”
In addition to Schmaltz’s goal, Captain Clayton Keller scored his 19th of the season seven and half minutes after his linemate’s tally to increase the score to 2-0. Michael Carcone’s empty net goal with 1:48 left in regulation secured the 3-0 win.
Additional Notes from Tonight (per Mammoth PR)
- The Mammoth’s power play went 1-for-2 against the Flyers. Utah has scored seven power play goals in seven games (7-for-18, 38.9%). On the other side of special teams, the Mammoth’s penalty kill went 3-for-3.
- JJ Peterka played his 300th NHL game. Peterka was selected 34th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft and is the ninth player from his draft class to reach the milestone. He is also just the eighth German-born forward in NHL history to accomplish the feat.
- Keller has recorded 11 points in his last seven games (2/2-3/5: 3g, 8a), finding the scoresheet in six of those contests.
- With two assists tonight, Dylan Guenther has posted his second straight multi-point outing (3/3 at WSH: 1g, 1a) and his third in five games (2/25 vs. COL: 2g).
Utah has won the first two games of a five-game road trip. Up next, the Mammoth travel to Columbus and face the Blue Jackets on Saturday night.
Upcoming Schedule
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Officials have identified a 22-year-old man as the suspect in a Las Vegas homicide case that killed two people in a Southern Highlands neighborhood.
Detectives say 22-year-old Ziaire Ham was the suspect in the case. According to officials, Ham was located on Tuesday, March 3, by the Ogden City Police Department and the Utah Highway Patrol.
Ham was taken into custody and booked into the Weber County Jail. Las Vegas authorities said he will be charged with open murder with the use of a deadly weapon and will be extradited back to the valley.
MORE ON FOX5: LVMPD corrections officer arrested on multiple felony charges
The shooting occurred Monday night at the 11000 block of Victoria Medici Street, near Starr Ave and Dean Martin Drive.
According to police, officers were conducting a vehicle stop in the area when they heard gunfire. After searching nearby neighborhoods they found a car with bullet impacts with a woman and a toddler inside suffering from gunshot wounds.
The pair were transported to hospital where they later died. The Clark County Coroner’s Office identified them as Danaijha Robinson, 20, and 1-year-old Nhalani Hiner.
Copyright 2026 KVVU. All rights reserved.
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