Lifelong Braves Fan Fell 85 Feet To His Death In Players' Parking Lot

More details have emerged in the death of a Braves fan who fell from the upper level of Turner Field last night, the third fatal fall at an Atlanta stadium in five years.

The man has been identified as Ronald Homer, 30, of Conyers, Ga. The fall took place just before 9 p.m., at the end of a lengthy rain delay that postponed the start of the Braves' game against the Phillies. Homer fell from a open-air concourse on the stadium's 400 level to the players' private parking lot, a fall of about 85 feet. A witness said the impact could be heard from 100 yards away.

Homer would have had to fall over a waist-high railing, seen in this photo from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, of fans looking down at the accident scene:

This photo at top, obtained by NBC, shows the aftermath on the ground—bloodstains, clothing, and an Atlanta Braves hat.

A statement from the Atlanta police department says the fall appears to be accidental. The medical examiner's office says Homer was pronounced dead at 9:26 p.m., moments after arriving at the hospital.

Homer's mother says she spoke with him on the phone shortly before his death, when he said the rain was letting up and he was preparing to go back into the stadium. She says he was a lifelong Braves fan, and he ended the conversation by telling her he loved her.

For whatever reason, Atlanta has had more than its share of fatal falls at sporting events. In 2008, a Braves fan was attempting to slide down a railing when he fell down a stairwell at Turner Field. Last August, a college student fell from the upper deck to the lower deck during a college football game at the Georgia Dome. Alcohol was ruled a factor in both cases.