Jan. 27 (UPI) — A spectator at a Colorado high school track and field meet was killed after a hammer thrown by an athlete accidentally flew into the crowd and struck the man.
Wade Langston, 57, was attending the state track meet as the father of one of the participating athletes on the University of Colorado Colorado Springs campus on Sunday when the accident occurred. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
“We are heartbroken at this horrible accident and are focused on supporting all involved,” UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet said in a statement.
The hammer throw is a traditional event in track and field competitions. The metal ball attached to a grip by a steel wire can weigh up to 25 pounds for boys and can be thrown between 55 and 67 miles per hour.
The hammer “thrown by a participant cleared certified barriers and struck him” during the event at around 9:30 a.m. Sunday at Mountain Lion Fieldhouse, according to a spokesperson for the university.
The Colorado Springs Police Department called the death a “non-criminal incident.”
Langston’s family described him as a “devoted husband, loving father and cherished brother.”
“There are no words to express the depth of our sorrow, but we are clinging tightly to the memories, laughter and love that we shared with Wade” Langston’s family wrote in an email to CPR News.
“We appreciate the outpouring of love and support but ask for privacy as we process this profound grief.”
