A track and field meet in Portsmouth, Virginia, went viral after a race left one runner injured. During the event last week, Kaelen Tucker was struck in the head by a competitor’s baton, held by Alaila Everett.
In a video that rapidly spread online, Tucker is seen being struck by the baton, leading to an outpouring of online commentary, including harassment and death threats directed at Everett.
Everett, a senior at Portsmouth High School, says the incident was purely accidental.
"She was touching me to the point where I was pumping my arm, and the baton was hitting her arm," she explained. "I lose my balance—my whole body turns, and then I pump my arms, so she got hit."
Tucker described her experience during the race, noting the contact she had with Everett.
"As we got around the curve, she kept bumping me in my arm. When we finally got off the curve, I slowly started passing her, and she hit me with a baton," Tucker recalled.
Following the incident, Tucker was diagnosed with a concussion and a possible fractured skull.
Vince Pugh, a former athletic director for Portsmouth public schools, commented on the race, noting that Tucker did not provide enough space for herself to move into Everett's lane, as is required by track regulations.
Everett has made attempts to reach out to Tucker since the race but discovered that she had been blocked on Instagram.
"After seeing the news on Wednesday, I thought, 'Oh, she thinks this was on purpose,' so I tried to follow her," Everett said. "I was blocked."
With the video continuing to circulate widely, Everett emphasized her desire for her side of the story to be heard.
"Yes, you can have sympathy for the girl that got physically hurt, but you can at least hear my part after I say it was accidental," she stated.
Both athletes hope to move forward from the incident and foster understanding amid the chaos that unfolded online.
This story was originally published by Danielle Saitta with the Scripps News Group.
