The joyous victory of the San Antonio Spurs over the Oklahoma City Thunder has unexpectedly turned into a horrific tragedy. 17-year-old Jose Luis Rodriguez III, known to his family and friends as “Joey,” is currently fighting for his life in the hospital after a fatal fall.

According to information from police and relatives, on Thursday night, while celebrating the team’s victory, Joey was sitting on the open passenger-side window of a truck. When the vehicle suddenly struck a curb, he lost his balance and crashed onto the pavement. Joey’s aunt, Yvonne Hudson, painfully described the scene: “He left blood all over the street”. Joey had no pulse for eight minutes before being transferred to a trauma center due to severe traumatic brain injuries.

Although he has been declared brain dead by doctors, his family is still clinging to the belief that a miracle will happen. Joey’s grandmother told KSAT: “I believe in God and I believe in miracles. I’m trying to hold on for my son, my daughter-in-law and the rest of the family”.

Behind this tragic accident is a story full of regret. Initially, Joey’s parents refused to let him join the celebrations due to concerns about crowd chaos. They only agreed after Joey assured them that an adult would be supervising; however, in reality, he went out with friends only, without the adult supervision he had promised.

San Antonio Police have extended their deepest sympathies to the family and emphasized that this was a “tragic and preventable incident”. Authorities also issued an important warning: “This serves as an important reminder that public safety is a shared responsibility. We encourage everyone celebrating to follow traffic laws, stay inside of your vehicles and follow directions from the officers who are there to keep everyone safe”.