A helicopter leaving the field at King Power Stadium crashed on Saturday, killing all five passengers aboard. Leicester City FC announced the passing of chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and the other people aboard on Sunday night. Srivaddhanaprabha was 61 years old.
Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha one of five dead in helicopter crash
The accident occurred at the King Power Stadium following Leicester’s match on Saturday.
Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The helicopter took off shortly following the team’s 1-1 draw with West Ham United. Eyewitnesses said it struggled to clear the stadium wall before making a “loud noise” and spiraling out of control. It crashed in the stadium parking lot at roughly 8:30 p.m. local time, and there is very little known about what happened at this time.
Srivaddhanaprabha was known for leaving games via helicopter and flying to his London home. Fans set up a memorial outside the stadium following the accident.
Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images
Srivaddhanaprabha was beloved by the community, not only for ushering in unprecedented success for the club, but for how the Thai billionaire was viewed as a man of the people, despite his considerable wealth. He chose not to raise ticket prices following Leicester City’s stunning Premier League win in 2016, and constantly made overtures to people in the community. He bought fans free beer on his birthday, and had recently donated £2 million to the local children’s hospital.
Leicester’s EFL Cup match against Southampton, which was scheduled for Tuesday, has been postponed.
We will update this story as information is made available.
See More:
