West
Woman, 23, dies after ‘devastating’ freak accident at Utah music festival, family says
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A 23-year-old woman has died after she suffered a head injury in a tragic accident while attending a Utah music festival over the weekend, her family said Monday.
Ava Ahlander was attending the RedWest music festival with friends in Salt Lake City on Saturday when severe weather forced the event to evacuate, her uncle, Bobby Ahlander, told FOX13 Salt Lake City.
Ava and her friends headed to a car parked on a street outside the festival grounds to seek shelter, Salt Lake City Police said.
Ahlander said that was when the tragic accident occurred.
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Ava Ahlander, 23, died Sunday after an accident near a music festival in Salt Lake City, Utah, her family said. (GoFundMe)
“Her friends said some big piece of wood plank just like flew threw the air and hit her in the head,” Ahlander said.
Police said Ava had stepped out of the car at some point as strong winds blew a 2-foot by 12-foot scaffolding board from a nearby apartment building that was under construction, according to the report. The board fell from about 30 feet before striking Ahlander and the car.
Ava’s uncle, Bobby Ahlander, said his niece loved concerts and was attending the festival with friends. (FOX13 Salt Lake City KSTU)
The 23-year-old was rushed to a hospital, though doctors eventually declared her dead after determining the board had crushed her brain stem, the family told the outlet.
Ahlander also confirmed Ava’s death in a statement on Facebook.
“As you can imagine, this was absolutely devastating news and I am grief-stricken,” he wrote. “Ava was an absolute delight of a human being. Everyone loved her. She had the best smile. She was an avid concertgoer and had flown in from Seattle to go see Post Malone with her friends. I love her and will miss her.”
Severe weather forced the festival to suspend activities and concertgoers to seek shelter. (FOX13 Salt Lake City KSTU)
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A GoFundMe page for Ava called her a “beautiful soul” who possessed a “kindness, warmth, and adventurous spirit” that touched those around her. The page added that Ava was also an organ donor.
“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,” according to the page.
Ahlander reflected on his niece’s choice to become an organ donor to help others.
“I think that is so beautiful,” he told the station.
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Las Vegas (Nev.) Arbor View quarterback Thaddeus Thatcher announced his commitment to Oregon State and broke down why he chose the Beavers.
After taking official visits to Oregon State, UNLV, UCF and Michigan, the talented signal caller announced for the Beavers moments ago.
“I’m very excited about my decision,” Thatcher said. “Coach Shep (Jamarcus Shephard) has assembled a really great staff and I’m really excited to work with coach (Mitch) Dahlen.
“Coach Dahlen has worked with so many draft picks and it’s really exciting to have the opportunity to be developed by someone like him.”
The potential to compete for early playing time was another big factor for Thatcher.
“They’re going to give me a chance to compete for a spot right away,” Thatcher said. “That’s something I was interested in and so I’m excited about the opportunity.
“My whole family gets along with the entire Oregon State staff and we really believe in Coach Shep. I really think he’s going to be able to get things back on track and I’m excited to be a part of that.”
We originally had a commit prediction in for Michigan with Thatcher and there was strong buzz he was close to committing following his unofficial visit back in early April.
Thatcher decided to take his official visits instead and the Beavers hosted him on May 29. Oregon State started to build momentum with Thatcher following the trip and the Beavs were able to hold off strong competition.
Thatcher is one of the region’s top dual-threat quarterbacks and two-sport athletes. He’s a talented basketball player as well but his fixture is on the grid-iron.
As a junior, Thatcher completed 168-240 passes (70%) for 2,625 yard and 29 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He also rushed for 605 yards and seven more scores and will be a four-year starter for the Aggies, one of the top teams in the state.
New Mexico
New Mexico AG launches criminal investigation into DEA over allegations agents let fentanyl flood state
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New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez on Friday announced a criminal investigation into allegations that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) knowingly allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach New Mexico communities while agents pursued larger criminal investigations.
The inquiry comes days after The Associated Press reported that DEA agents repeatedly monitored—but did not seize—large fentanyl shipments between 2023 and 2025 while attempting to build broader criminal cases.
Torrez said the investigation will examine potential legal remedies, including criminal prosecution, civil litigation and structural reforms intended to prevent similar conduct by DEA agents in the future.
“The families who have lost children, siblings, and parents to fentanyl deserve the truth about what the federal government knew and what it failed to do,” Torrez said in a statement.
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Photo released by the DEA shows fentanyl pills seized in New Mexico on April 28, 2025, as the agency faces scrutiny over allegations it allowed other shipments to reach the streets. (DEA via AP)
“If the DEA stood by while poison flooded our communities, that is not a bureaucratic failure,” he continued. “It is a betrayal of the people it was sworn to protect.”
Torrez said his office “will pursue every legal avenue available to hold the responsible parties accountable and make certain this never happens again.”
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called for the investigation earlier this week, saying she was “appalled” by allegations that federal agents knowingly allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach communities across the state.
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New Mexico’s attorney general has opened a criminal investigation into allegations that DEA agents allowed large fentanyl shipments to reach local communities while pursuing larger criminal cases. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
“Make no mistake: the DEA knew people would die if these pills made it into New Mexico communities, and the agency let it happen anyway,” Grisham said. “The result: hundreds of New Mexican parents burying their kids. Hundreds of New Mexican kids growing up without stable parents. All while the federal government stood by.”
Grisham also pointed to allegations that DEA agents monitored the delivery of 74,000 fentanyl pills to a mobile home park in Albuquerque without intervening.
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DEA Special Agent David Howell, who filed a whistleblower complaint, poses for a portrait outside the U.S. district courthouse in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)
“Shockingly, the federal government stood by while monitoring shipments, tallying exact pill counts, and watching as these deadly drugs hit the streets,” she said.
Current and former DEA agents, including whistleblower David Howell, told the AP the agency’s tactics gambled with public safety and may have violated Department of Justice guidelines.
While the DEA initially denied Howell’s allegations in a statement to the AP, the agency later requested that the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General conduct an independent review.
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Fentanyl pills seized by the DEA in New Mexico on April 28, 2025. New Mexico officials have since launched a criminal investigation into allegations involving the agency’s handling of separate fentanyl shipments. (DEA via AP)
“Should that review identify areas of improvement, the DEA will of course implement changes to better their practices,” the Justice Department said in a statement. “We welcome a partnership with Governor Lujan Grisham, as well as New Mexico state and local leaders, to fight the scourge of fentanyl and keep her constituents safe.”
The allegations stem from enforcement operations conducted during the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history, even as the DEA promoted its “One Pill Can Kill” public awareness campaign warning that even a small amount of fentanyl can be fatal.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the DEA for comment regarding the investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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