A 78-year-old man died after he was knocked down by a runaway police horse at San Francisco's Candlestick Park.

Police say Eugene Caldwell of Roseville hit his head and suffered critical injuries when he was struck by the horse just before 6 p.m. Friday in a charter bus parking lot. The 49ers were playing host to the San Diego Chargers in both teams' final exhibition game before the season.

Caldwell died about 1 a.m. Saturday at San Francisco General Hospital.

"It is with great sadness that we learned that one of our fans, Mr. Eugene Caldwell, passed away as a result of an accident before the game on Friday night," said 49ers Vice President of Communications Lisa Lang. "This was an unfortunate incident and we would like to extend our deepest sympathy to his family. Mr. Caldwell has been a part of the 49ers Faithful for many years. He was a long time season ticket holder and a loyal fan. This is a great loss to the 49ers family and he will be missed."