During Nelson Cruz’s at bat in the fifth inning of the Rangers-Indians game on Tuesday night, a 25-year-old fan fell 30 feet from the second deck of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington as he tried to reach for a foul ball. The man was immediately strapped to a stretcher and taken to a Dallas hospital, where he remains responsive.
From the Dallas News:
Nelson Cruz was batting with two outs against Justin Masterson when he lofted a foul ball down the first-base line. The ball sailed some three rows aboveMorris’ head and caromed back toward the field of play.
He lost his balance as he reached for the ball. He appeared to land on his right side as he came down on a couple seated in section 35, directly below his seat. On his way down, he also struck a man in the shoulder, and he hit a boy in the face with his shoe.
They were all treated at a first aid station at the stadium, Ryan said, and stayed for the rest of the game.
Emergency personnel was quick to respond and had removed the man within 10 minutes. Four other fans who were injured by his fall were treated at the first-aid station in the ballpark and were not transported to the hospital.
The game was stopped for 16 minutes, and several players on the field looked shaken.
Here’s a live video of the on-field reaction by the fans and players. While it doesn’t show the man falling, it’s still terrifying to listen to the announcer and watch the reaction of people in the stadium.
