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What we know about the Brewers escalator accident at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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What we know about the Brewers escalator accident at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Eleven people were injured at Saturday’s Brewers game when an escalator malfunctioned at American Family Field in Milwaukee, leaving fans “plummeting” down to the floor.

Here’s what we know about what happened.

When did the escalator accident happen at the Brewers game?

The incident happened at the conclusion of Saturday’s Brewers game against the Chicago Cubs. The game ended around 5:45 p.m.

How many people were injured in the escalator accident after the Brewers game at American Family Field?

11.

Six people were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Five people were treated at the scene.

Reports on social media indicate that multiple ambulances were called to the stadium.

What have the Brewers said about the escalator accident?

The team issued a statement at 7:24 p.m. Saturday.

An escalator at the stadium moving fans from the Terrace to Loge Level “malfunctioned,” resulting in “an increased downward speed,” the team said.

Onsite physician and EMS were on the scene “immediately.”

“We are appreciative of their quick response,” the team wrote.

Where did the escalator malfunction happen in the Brewers stadium?

The Terrace Level is the 400 sections and the Loge is the 200s.

The malfunction occurred on the escalator between sections 427-425, according to a witness who talked with the Journal Sentinel Saturday night. These sections are on the third base side in the upper level.

Witness of escalator accident at the Brewers game: People were ‘plummeting down’

Kaylee Klein, who was at the game with her boyfriend and his family and friends, witnessed the frightening scene.

In an interview with the Journal Sentinel Saturday night, Klein said she went over to get on the escalator but it was “such a long line” and that at least 20 people were on it at the time, by her estimate. That’s when they heard “a screeching sound.”

She said the escalator then picked up speed to about 10 to 15 miles per hour, she recalled to the Journal Sentinel.

“We just saw fans like just plummeting down basically,” Klein said.

Klein said someone then clicked the emergency stop button. After taking the stairs to the second floor, she saw people injured.

Has an escalator malfunction happened at the Brewers stadium before?

Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said he doesn’t recall “any such emergencies” like an escalator malfunction at the stadium.

Brewers stadium history, upgrades at American Family Field

American Family Field, formerly Miller Park, opened in 2001, replacing County Stadium in the Menomonee Valley. The stadium is known for its fan-shaped convertible roof.

Last fall, Gov. Tony Evers signed a $500 million public funding plan for long-term renovations and improvements into law. The plan, which received bipartisan support, was aimed at keeping the team in Wisconsin through at least 2050 since the stadium’s previous lease was set to expire in 2030.

The state is contributing $365.8 million, which is lower than previous versions thanks to a ticket surcharge on non-Brewers events at the stadium. Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee will make annual payments totaling $67.5 million by 2050.

The Brewers are providing around $150 million.

Winterizing the ballpark, which will cost up to $25 million, is first on the to-do list. This will allow the stadium to host events during the offseason.

The Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District, an agency that leases the ballpark to the Brewers, owns the stadium. Per the lease, the district pays for most of the ballpark’s long-term maintenance and renovations.

Residents in a five-county region in southeast Wisconsin previously paid a tax to pay for construction costs of the stadium. That tax ended in 2020, much longer than first estimated.

What was the attendance at Saturday’s Brewers game?

42,238

Brewers schedule

The Brewers wrap up their six-game homestand on Sunday for the series finale against the Cubs. After Sunday’s game they head out on the road for a seven-game West Coast trip to face the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers before returning home to American Family Field on Tuesday, July 9.

Alec Johnson contributed to this report

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