SALT LAKE CITY — Police have confirmed the death of a Utah native who was hit by debris when strong winds swept through the Redwest Music Festival in downtown Salt Lake City over the weekend.

The victim has been identified as Ava Ahlander, who grew up in American Fork and had been living in Seattle. Family members say she flew to Utah to attend the festival with friends and was leaving the venue Saturday evening when organizers told crowds to clear out because of the approaching storm.

“They had actually asked everybody to leave because of storm conditions,” said her uncle, Bobby Ahlander. “It looks like a large wooden plank or something that was up on scaffolding blew down and hit her, struck her in the head at the base of her skull.”

Paramedics arrived to find Ahlander without a pulse

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