Chiefs’ superfan known as ‘Da Beard’ killed in car crash

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Daniel Nelson, a Kansas City Chiefs superfan known as “Da Beard” and “Red Beard” for his painted red face, was killed in a vehicle crash Monday morning, authorities said. He was 43.

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Nelson died shortly after midnight in Independence, Missouri, KCTV reported. According to Independence police, Nelson was driving a Chevrolet eastbound on 23rd Street around 12:20 a.m. CST when he crashed into a railroad bridge west of Noland Road, WDAF-TV reported.

Police said that Nelson was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. The incident is still under investigation, but police believe alcohol may have been a contributing factor, according to the television station.

Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs play their home games, was Nelson’s “happy place” according to Christopher Stone, who has met Nelson at games for a decade, KCTV reported.

Nelson got his nickname from his painted beard and face, and Stone said Chiefs games will not be the same without him.

“The amount of lives that he’s touched in this parking lot you cannot measure,” Stone told the television station. “I mean the amount of smiles he gave, he’s impacted lives across this whole country and it’s devastating.”

Another Chiefs superfan, Lynn “Weirdwolf” Schmidt, told WDAF that she had been with Nelson during Sunday’s game, a 20-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

“He gave me the big bear hug that he always does,” Schmidt told the television station. “You know, you’ll see photos of us together, and he’s always got his arm just like clawed around you because he wanted to be close with people.

“I think the game really took a toll on him yesterday. That loss was hard. I think he let things go.”