Festival-Goer Paralyzed After Man Falls From Tree at Louder Than Life

Spinal Cord Injury During Festival Performance

Jamie Ulshoffer, a Tennessee mother of two, was seated on the ground near a friend during a performance at Louder Than Life's Impact Stage on September 18 when a man fell from a tree above the crowd and landed on her. It had recently rained at the Louisville, Kentucky festival.

"I turn around and see her on her back," husband Conor Ulshoffer told Louisville ABC affiliate WHAS11. "Then everyone said some dude fell out of a tree."

Permanent Paralysis Confirmed

Ulshoffer was transported to the University of Louisville Medical Center, where she underwent back surgery. The fall severed her spinal cord, leaving her permanently paralyzed from the waist down. According to her niece, who launched a fundraising campaign to help cover medical costs, Ulshoffer "will most likely never be able to walk again."

"I'm not going to be able to play with the kids," Jamie said. "I can't feel my feet. Can't do anything that I used to." She added of the man responsible: "He shouldn't have been up there. Definitely after it just rained, too. Stupid decision. You did this, but I'll forgive."

No Criminal Investigation

Louisville Metro Police confirmed there is no ongoing criminal investigation into the man's actions, with the incident classified as a civil matter. The GoFundMe campaign has raised over $33,000 at the time of writing.