Chicago Cubs: Cubs fans falls over railing while leaving Wrigley

A lifelong Chicago Cubs fan from Wheaton, Illinois fatally fell over the railing while leaving Tuesday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.

Richard E. Garrity, 42, was on his way out of the ballpark around 11 p.m. when the accident occurred, according to USA Today reports. The game had ended at 10:20 p.m. that night.

Garrity suffered traumatic head injuries from the fall, and a private ambulance rushed him to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.  Cook County medical examiners pronounced Garrity dead at 3:33 p.m. Wednesday.

Details about the accident are unknown to investigators at this point. Even worse, Garrity’s family still has little knowledge of the incident.

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“A great guy, everyone loved him”

According to the Chicago Tribune, Garrity was born in Aurora and lived in the 2300 block of Embden Lane.

Garrity graduated from Arizona State with a bachelor’s in Business and Communication, according to his social media profiles.

After college, Garrity worked for Chicago Beverage Systems before taking a position with Heineken, where he worked his way up to Marketing Manager.

According to his father, Richard Garrity Sr., Garrity was at the ballgame as a part of a work outing with colleagues and friends.

“He was a great guy, everyone loved him,” Garrity said of his son. “When he walked in a room, there were no strangers.”

The elder Garrity said he spoke to his son during the game while he babysat his sons’ 9-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son.

Cubs show their support

The Cubs expressed their condolences to the Garrity family in a statement released Wednesday.

“Following yesterday’s game, a male fan fell as he was exiting the ballpark. Paramedics responded immediately and transported him to a local hospital. We have since learned he passed away today though we have no further information. The thoughts and prayers of our entire organization are with his family during this difficult time,” the team said. 

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The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office scheduled Garrity’s autopsy for Thursday.