Camping Comic-Con 'Twilight' Fan Dies Trying to Keep Her Place in Line
A 53-year-old Twilight fan who spent the last two days waiting in line for Thursday's Twilight Comic-Con panel was tragically killed when she tried to cross the street on Tuesday morning.
.A 53-year-old Twilight fan who spent the last two days waiting in line for Thursday's Twilight Comic-Con panel was tragically killed when she tried to cross the street on Tuesday morning.
U-T San Diego reports Gisela Gagliardi was attempting to cross the street around 9:20 a.m. this morning. She had a red light, but attempted to go anyway. One car stopped for her, but the driver or a Subaru Outback failed to see her right away and kept driving. Gagliardi noticed the driver wasn't slowing down for her and tried to stop, but tripped and fell into the car. Police said Gagliardi was "bleeding profusely" from her head when an ambulance took her from the scene.
The most heartbreaking part of the story is Gagliardi was trying to make sure she wouldn't lose her spot in line when she was crossing the road:
Fans said the convention center staff was about to switch the line, so the beginning became the end, and that she was running to keeping her place in line.
Fans on Twitter mourned her death quickly on Tuesday. MTV was able to learn Gagliardi had been camping in line for two days already. The Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 panel isn't until Thursday, the first official day of Comic-Con. (Wednesday night is just a preview night.) The panel's supposed to have an exclusive clip from the movie and a Q&A session with the cast.
Lionsgate issued this statement, announcing Gagliardi will be remembered during the panel she was patiently waiting to attend:
Lionsgate, Summit and the entire Twilight community are saddened by the death of a Comic-Con fan today due to a traffic accident during the hours leading up to this year’s convention in San Diego. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the victim’s family and friends. She will be respectfully remembered this Thursday in Hall H.