Death of Richard Swanson
Richard Swanson | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 19, 1970 |
| Died | May 14, 2013 (aged 42) Lincoln City, Oregon, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Traffic collision |
Richard Swanson (May 19, 1970 — May 14, 2013) was an American man who tried to dribble a soccer ball from Seattle, Washington, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On May 14, 2013, he died at the age of 42 after being hit by a pickup truck in Lincoln City, Oregon.
Background
[edit]Richard Swanson was born on May 19, 1970, and had lived in Seattle for over 10 years. He had two sons: a 22-year-old and an 18-year-old. He had worked as a private investigator for over 8 years and later as a graphic designer. As a graphic designer, he further developed an interest in videography and web design. He faced difficulties due to a layoff and decided to use his time between jobs to be adventurous on his way to watch the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.[1]
In 2013, Richard Swanson announced a plan to dribble a soccer ball through 11 countries from Seattle to São Paulo for the World Cup opening ceremony. He called this project Breakway Brazil. For his journey, he decided to use a One World Futbol, a soccer ball intended to be indestructible and which is donated to people in developing countries.[2]
Swanson started his journey on May 1, 2013, at Seattle's Space Needle.[3] He averaged 24–26 miles (39–42 km) of progress each day.[4]
Death
[edit]On May 14, 2013, Swanson arrived in Lincoln City, Oregon for the first day at a beach during his trip.[5] His next scheduled stop was in Newport, Oregon,[6] and he planned to celebrate his birthday with friends in Bandon, Oregon, a few days later.[7] Swanson had previously said in an interview with KCPQ, "I'll be on Highway 101, but I'll also try to utilize trails that run along the coast, just trying to get off the beaten path, there's a lot of cars and just [try] not [to] get run over."[8]
At about 10 am, he was hit from behind by a 1995 Nissan pickup truck while walking along U.S. Route 101 and declared dead at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital.[2] Swanson's soccer ball was recovered from the scene of his death, but police say he may not have been dribbling it at the time.[9] The driver remained on the scene and cooperated with police.[10]
Response from supporters
[edit]Many people responded to Swanson's death by commenting on his project's social media pages. Posts were made in several languages. Some suggested the first play at the World Cup be played with Swanson's ball.[11]
On May 19, the One World Futbol organization presented Swanson's sons a ball during halftime of a Seattle Sounders FC match.[9] They also launched a page on their website where people could donate soccer balls to developing countries in Swanson's name.[3] Chief operating officer Lisa Tarver said to the Associated Press, "We are deeply saddened to learn about Richard's death."[12]
Investigation
[edit]Scott Van Hiatt, a 52-year-old man who drove the pickup truck that killed Swanson, was arrested on June 17. Prior to this incident, he had numerous traffic-related violations according to Oregon court records, including giving false information to police, failing to drive on the right side of the road, speeding, and driving uninsured.[9]
Hiatt was charged with negligent homicide. His trial in January 2014 resulted in a hung jury, so a new trial date was set.[13] On November 21, Hiatt was found not guilty and the death was ruled an accident. Hiatt said, "I was right there with him trying to do I could when this happened. Him dying was the last thing I ever wanted."[14]
References
[edit]- ^ Swanson, Richard (March 21, 2013). Why I'm taking the 10,000 mile journey to the Word Cup (Video). Retrieved July 25, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b Barnard, Jeff (May 14, 2013). "Seattle man killed while dribbling soccer ball to Brazil". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
- ^ a b Taylor, Phil (June 10, 2013). "The Inspiring, Tragic Journey of the Soccer Man". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Ruark, Jeremy C. (May 14, 2013). "A 10,000 mile adventure, one step at a time". Lincoln County Leader. Lincoln City, Oregon. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Swanson, Richard (May 14, 2013). First day on the beach (Lincoln City OR) (Video) – via YouTube.
- ^ "US man attempting to dribble ball to 2014 World Cup in Brazil is killed just two-weeks into his quest". The Independent. May 18, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Prince-Wright, Joy (May 13, 2013). "Seattle man's tragic death as he attempted to dribble ball to Brazil for charity". NBC Sports. NBC. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Lynch, James (May 14, 2013). "Tragic end for man dribbling soccer ball from Seattle to Brazil". KCPQ. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c Tomlinson, Stuart (June 17, 2013). "Neskowin man arrested in death of soccer ball dribbler Richard Swanson". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Chappell, Bill (May 13, 2013). "Richard Swanson Didn't Reach Brazil, But He Found An Audience". NPR. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Lendon, Brad (May 15, 2013). "Man dribbling soccer ball from Seattle to Brazil killed on highway". CNN. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ "US man killed dribbling football to Brazil World Cup". BBC. May 13, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ "New trial in soccer dribbler death on Oregon coast". The Daily News. Lincoln City, Oregon. Associated Press. February 27, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Bailey, Everton Jr. (November 21, 2014). "Driver found not guilty in death of Seattle soccer fan struck while walking along U.S. 101 in Lincoln City". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
