Aoki Sued Over Stage Dive

Scottsdale, Ariz., woman Britney Hickman told the local KGTV News she was visiting San Diego with friends and bought a ticket to a concert at the Intervention pool party at the Hard Rock Hotel.

The group ended up standing near the front of the stage during the show, and Hickman says that when Aoki jumped into the crowd, he knocked her unconscious.

“He threw a pool raft into the crowd and climbed up the scaffolding to the top of the makeshift stage and then he jumped off of the stage into the pool raft,” she said. “I was trapped underneath the pool raft because they threw it out right where I was standing. My friends told me he landed on top of the pool raft, hit me on top of the head and I got knocked over.”

A security guard for Hard Rock reportedly carried her out of the crowd, and when Hickman woke up she claims she felt confused and disoriented, but was allowed back into the show.

“They released me back into the concert,” she continued. “At the point when I walked outside, that’s when I realized where I was.”

After the group of friends left San Diego, Hickman decided to go the hospital for a CAT scan when she began experiencing pain.

“The doctor comes in and he says ‘don’t move.’ The medics come over and start to put a neck brace on me. And I remember thinking, ‘What’s going on?’” Hickman said.

She had a broken neck, and Hickman was told she could have paralyzed herself in the time between her leaving San Diego and going to the hospital if she’d reached for something or held her arms above her head, KGTV noted.

She claims she’s filed suit against Aoki and the Hard Rock Hotel because she is worried about the safety of others.

“Don’t trust that just because you’re paying for a ticket to a show that you’re going to be protected by the venue or the performer,” Hickman’s attorney told KGTV.

In a statement to the station, Aoki’s attorney, Peter Doody, responded that “because of the ongoing litigation and the pending trial date it would not be appropriate for us to respond to your inquiry at this time.”

The Hard Rock also declined to comment.

A hearing on the case is scheduled for Aug. 28.