Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Tribune News Service
Tribune News Service
Sport
Dennis Young

Rams photographer says she fractured spine at Super Bowl parade while taking photo of Staffords

Photographer Kelly Smiley says she broke her spine after falling off a stage at the Rams' Super Bowl parade.

Video shows Smiley setting up to take a photo when she falls backwards off the stage. Rams QB Matthew Stafford and his wife Kelly see her fall, and Kelly leans over to her while Matthew appears to express surprise and then turn around immediately.

Smiley is a photographer for the Rams and NFL, according to her social media bios.

The Rams and Staffords will be covering the various expenses from the injury, a team spokesman told the New York Daily News.

“We have been in communication with Kelly Smiley since yesterday’s incident and we are sorry for what happened,” said a joint statement from the Rams and Staffords. “As we told Kelly, we will be covering all her hospital bills and replacing her cameras. We wish her a speedy recovery.”

“I unfortunately fractured my spine today,” Smiley wrote on Instagram. She later wrote that she was “feeling ok” and shared a GoFundMe for her treatment. Both of her cameras were broken in the fall, she said.

The Rams were celebrating their Super Bowl title in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

In the Fox11 stream of the parade, Kelly Stafford can be seen giving Smiley a phone to pose for the photo, then Smiley falls backwards off the stage. Kelly goes to the edge of the stage to check on Smiley, Matthew turns around and takes a drink of water, and the stream ends 10 seconds later.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.