Tony Knight, a comedian from the U.K., has died after a “terrible accident” involving a tree branch. He was 54.
On June 7th, Knight was “tragically killed” after he was struck by a large tree branch while attending the Rock&Cars festival in Lavaur, France, according to a GoFundMe page set up by one of his family members.
Knight was reportedly heading to the south of France where his friends and family were awaiting his “annual return” at the time of his accident.
Tony Knight/Instagram
“Tony had been in France only a few days before he lost his life attending a festival with his friend Pascall, and never made it home,” the family member continued.
“He was only 54 and having the time of his life. He was fit, healthy, happy and had everything going for him,” they added of his memory. “He was charismatic, funny, passionate and so very loved by Hayley [his partner], his family and his friends all over the world.
At the time of his death, a French media outlet reported that two branches fell from a large tree and killed Knight. Four other festivalgoers were injured.
The accident occurred amid fair weather conditions, and there were no signs of wind or a storm. “Many witnesses present at 6 p.m. recount the sound of the branches cracking and the screams and then the arrival of help,” the outlet reported. “Many say they were shocked to have witnessed this scene and some explain that they had been sitting at the site of the accident a few minutes before.”
Tony Knight/Instagram
Knight was the only non-survivor.
The GoFundMe page made mention of the comedian’s great passion for dogs and helping people “all over the world.” In addition to performing, he was also known for training dogs with problem behavior and frequently appeared on radio and television and held classes.
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Knight was scheduled to tour venues in Australia and the U.K. to perform his standup show “Mad Dogs and an Englishman.”
“We are beyond devastated that his life was taken by a freak accident …an accident that we are all still trying to comprehend,” the family member added on the page.
