Friend of man who fell over outfield wall during Pirates game at PNC Park charged with buying him alcohol
The friend of the man who fell from the outfield stands at PNC Park during a Pittsburgh Pirates game last month has been charged with providing him alcohol at the game, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette .
Ethan Kirkwood, 21, reportedly told investigators that he bought two beers for his friend, 20-year-old Kavan Markwood, during the Pirates' game against the Chicago Cubs last month. Kirkwood is now facing two misdemeanor counts of furnishing alcohol to a minor, according to the Post-Gazette.
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Markwood jumped up to celebrate a hit during the seventh inning of the April 30 game, and he ended up falling over the outfield railing and down more than 20 feet to the warning track at PNC Park. He remained motionless for several minutes while players and officials slowly realized what had happened.
He was eventually taken off the field by a stretcher and transported to a local hospital. Markwood suffered injuries to his skull, spine, lungs, ribs and brain. He has since made 'remarkable progress,' and has been moved out of the intensive care unit. He is able to stand, walk and respond to questions, and he's started therapy for his brain injury.
Security footage from the stadium, according to the report, showed Kirkwood buying two 24-ounce Miller Lites before the game's first pitch. He was carded when he made the purchase, but footage later showed both Kirkwood and Markwood with one beer in their hands each after Kirkwood walked away from the kiosk with both of them. About an hour later, per the report, Kirkwood was seen walking back to purchase two more beers.
Footage from behind Markwood's seat showed him shirtless and visibly energized right before the incident, too. At one point, he was reportedly seen taking his shirt off and pouring beer on himself, and he landed with much of his bodyweight on the railing after jumping up to celebrate the hit — which is what prompted him to lose his balance and fall forward.
Kirkwood has been charged with minor drinking violations in the past, per the report, first at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2022 and again in 2023 at Slippery Rock University. He pleaded guilty to both sets of charges. Markwood is a former first-team all-conference football player at South Allegheny High School, and he spent time on a pair of Division II rosters.
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