Man dies after fall from Turner Field upper deck

Baseball fans look over a railing at Turner Field near the scene where a man fell 60 feet from the upper deck Monday Aug. 12, 2013. Atlanta police spokesman John Chafee confirmed the death of the man, whose name has not been released. The man fell during Monday night's game between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal Constitution, Curtis Compton) MARIETTA DAILY OUT, GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT) LOCAL TV OUT (WXIA, WGCL, FOX 5).CURTIS COMPTON — AP

By PHILLIP LUCAS — Associated Press

ATLANTA — A man who fell more than 60 feet from an upper-level platform at Atlanta's Turner Field onto a parking lot during a baseball game died Monday night, police said.

Atlanta police spokesman John Chafee confirmed the death of the man, whose name has not been released. The man fell during Monday night's game between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

"At this time there's no indication of foul play and the fall appears accidental," Chafee said late Monday. "It appears he fell from an upper-level platform to a secured lot below."

Chafee said police received the report of the fall just before 9 p.m. Monday. When officers arrived, they located a man who appeared to have fallen 65 feet, or about six stories.

The man was transported to Atlanta Medical Center and died of his injuries.

Chafee said the fall occurred on the stadium's back side. He said witnesses described the fall as accidental, but that police were not releasing other details of what they said.

He said he did not know if wet conditions or alcohol were factors.

Heavy rains had led to a nearly two-hour delay of the game, which was scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m.

A Braves spokeswoman declined comment earlier Monday night, referring calls to the Atlanta police.

Monday's accident wasn't the first of its kind to happen at Turner Field, and marked at least the third time a sports fan has fallen from the stands in Atlanta in about a year.

Isaac Grubb, 20, of Lenoir City, Tenn. died after falling over a railing at the Georgia Dome during a football game between Tennessee and North Carolina State on Aug. 31, 2012. Authorities said he landed on another man seated in the lower level, and that alcohol was a factor.

A man fell about 25 feet over a staircase railing at a Georgia Tech-Miami football game on Sept. 22, 2012 and was not seriously injured.

In May 2008, a 25-year-old Cumming, Ga. man suffered head injuries when he fell down a stairwell at Turner Field during a game between the Braves and the New York Mets and later died. Police found that alcohol had factored into that accident, which the Braves had said was the first non-medical fatality to happen at the ballpark.

Turner Field became the home of the Braves in 1997, a year after serving as the site of events for the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Battered Bears debut at Soldier Field

CHICAGO — Apparently the new look includes a big ice wrap straddled around your leg.

Though no Bears players have suffered season-threatening injuries, the nagging kind keep popping up. Even at Saturday night's Family Fest at Soldier Field.

This time, it was defensive end Julius Peppers with a wrap around his hamstring, as he and second-year receiver Alshon Jeffery both had tightness in the muscle and left practice for precautionary reasons.

Defensive back Kelvin Hayden also went with the wrap look for his hamstring, though he was put at a more serious status, leaning more toward "week to week." He stayed wrapped up on the sideline during the team's last meeting in the heart of the field after practice.

Peppers had his wrap off before the end of practice, but defensive end Cornelius Washington also suffered an elbow strain, and receiver Earl Bennett left to be evaluated for a concussion.

Huge field for Champion On Ice Trotting Series

The Champion On Ice Trotting Series always has proven to be popular with horsemen, and it's no different this time around. A sizable 28-horse contingent passed the entry box for tonight's opening round at Balmoral Park, necessitating three first-round divisions.

Locally-based horses will be challenged by trotters, mostly youngsters, who have come in for the three-week series from east coast racetracks in Pennsylvania and New York, as well as Midwest facilities in Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota.

Springfield-based trainer Mike Brink has a major threat in each of the three opening legs, with Nidaros, a $50,000 yearling buy as a yearling, in the opener, along with recent Hoosier Park winners Jailhouse Rockn and Justice And Fifth in the second and third splits, respectively.

The $9,000 series final will be raced on Aug. 21.

— Mike Paradise