Charlotte Yeskulsky | Head Editor
May 13, 2025
One week after Kavan Markwood’s shocking 21-foot fall from the right-field stands at PNC Park, new video footage has added fresh insight and renewed questions about what exactly happened on the night of April 30.
The 20-year-old fan was attending the Pirates-Cubs game with friends when the incident occurred during the bottom of the seventh inning. Just after Andrew McCutchen hit an RBI double, footage from behind Markwood shows him leaping from his seat in a sudden, animated motion. In doing so, his legs caught the railing directly in front of him, flipping him over and sending him plummeting to the field below.
The quickness and energy of the movement have led some to speculate whether he attempted to jump the railing intentionally, perhaps as a misguided stunt, or whether it was simply a tragic, split-second mistake fueled by excitement. He appears to leap with both feet off the ground rather than stumble or trip, raising the possibility that he overestimated the distance or didn’t realize the drop on the other side. Senior Brianna Diaz thought that “it wasn’t an accident because of the way he fell over the wall.”
Despite speculation, officials remain firm in their classification. Pittsburgh Public Safety has labeled the fall as accidental in nature. A Pirates spokesperson stated there were no clear signs of intoxication and confirmed Markwood had consumed two beers during the game. Surveillance footage and witness reports support the belief that he didn’t intend to leave his seating area or cause a scene.
Still, the intensity of the jump remains difficult to ignore. Whether it was a moment of celebratory energy gone wrong or a misjudged decision to hop the barrier, the fall had devastating consequences. Markwood sustained a broken neck, back, and clavicle, though he has since taken his first steps in recovery. Senior Karly Coury, although not an avid baseball fan, had seen the video on social media and “couldn’t imagine how scary it must have been to see it happen live at the game.”
The investigation remains open, but for now, officials stand by their ruling that it was a tragic accident, not an intentional leap.
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