Fan falls from stands at Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena during Penguins-Blues game

A fan suffered life-threatening injuries when he fell from the stands at PPG Paints Arena during Monday night’s game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Public Safety said. 

The man fell from the 200 level, hitting another person in the suite level below before falling to the 100 level, Pittsburgh Public Safety said in a post on Facebook. The man who fell was taken to a hospital in Pittsburgh with life-threatening injuries, officials said. 

The fall happened during the first period on Monday, and play did not stop at any point. First responders were called to the arena around 7:15 p.m., officials said. 

The person struck by the falling man was evaluated by first responders and declined to go to the hospital. In a statement, the Penguins said, in part, that the organization and OVG Management Group, which operates PPG Paints Arena, are “closely monitoring the situation. Our concerns remain with the individual and his family at this time.”

A photo from the area on Monday showed about 10 200-level seats roped off with yellow tape. A pane of glass in the front of the section is also missing. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fall. No additional information was released on Monday night. 

“We saw a bunch of people scrambling over there … saw him taken away,” witness Devin Voop told KDKA. “Obviously, I hope he’s OK.”

The incident comes on the heels of a worker at Acrisure Stadium falling 50 feet from the stadium’s scoreboard on Saturday night. Authorities said the worker, suffered severe injuries, mainly to his lower extremities, and was listed in critical condition.

Earlier this year, Kavan Markwood fell 21 feet from his seat onto the warning track at PNC Park during a Pittsburgh Pirates’ game against the Chicago Cubs. Doctors said he suffered several injuries, including to his skull, brain, spine, ribs and lungs. But at the time, they said he was recovering ahead of schedule, given the severity of his injuries.