A Temple University student tragically died after falling from a light pole while celebrating the Philadelphia Eagles’ victory over the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship game on Sunday. Tyler Sabapathy, an 18-year-old freshman from Toronto, suffered critical injuries after the fall, which occurred in Center City at 15th and Market streets. He was later rushed to the hospital, where he passed away on Tuesday.
Temple University confirmed his death, expressing deep sorrow: “There are no words that can make sense of it, and the entire Temple community mourns his passing. Our hearts go out to Tyler’s family, friends, classmates, and all who knew and loved him.”
Sabapathy was a dedicated gymnast and a member of the university’s club gymnastics team. He was studying exercise and sport science, with a passion for injury prevention, which was inspired by his experience in gymnastics. Sabapathy had earned over 120 medals in provincial, regional, and international competitions, and his bright future was cut short by this tragic accident.
The incident occurred amidst a night of intense celebrations in Philadelphia, where police also responded to multiple other reports of violence, including shootings, stabbings, and assaults on officers.
The same evening, a separate incident occurred when a woman driving a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 struck a crowd celebrating the Eagles’ win near North Broad and Spring Garden streets. At least eight people were injured, and the driver was taken into custody. The police investigation into that incident is ongoing.
Temple University is offering counseling services for students, faculty, and staff as the community processes the loss of Tyler Sabapathy.
