Tito Jackson Didn't Have to Die: Jackson 5 Veteran, 70, 'Could Have Been Saved' If He'd 'Got Help Sooner for Heart Attack'
Tito Jackson is believed to have suffered a heart attack while driving.
Oct. 1 2024, Published 4:30 p.m. ET
Tito Jackson's family believes the veteran singer would still be alive today if he received medical help sooner.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the 70-year-old's loved ones are still angry he passed away, insisting if help arrived quicker to the stricken star, who suffered a heart attack in his car near a mall in Gallup, N.M, he would have survived.
Tito Jackson was driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma when he suffered the medical emergency.
A family insider said: "I firmly believe that if Tito had gotten help sooner, he'd still be here with us today."
Police records show at approximately 6:17pm PT on September 15, an officer was "flagged down" near the Mexican Heritage Plaza.
Jackson was transferred to a nearby hospital but he could not be saved.
Tito Jackson, far right, with brothers Jackie, left, and Marlon, center.
He was driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma when he suffered the medical emergency, according to former Jackson family member Steve Manning.
No cause of death has officially been released, but medical experts believed Jackson's passing was heart-related.
Tito Jackson became a household name as a member of the Jackson 5.
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Dr. Stuart Fischer, author of The Little Book of Bog Medical Emergencies, said: "It's more likely that Tito had high blood pressure, and high blood pressure forces the heart to work harder and pump blood to the rest of the body.
"It is often the cause of a heart attack or heart failure.
"It can cause fatal cardiac arrhythmia."
Tito with his sons Taj, Taryll and TJ who formed the band 3T.
He continued: "Probably the biggest issue was that a heart attack is one of the emergencies where time is of absolute essence.
"They were waiting to get help in a mall parking lot, and a significant delay like that can be the difference between life and death."
However, longevity expert Dr. Gabe Mirkin suspects Jackson's lifestyle contributed to his death.
He said: "Tito Jackson had significant abdominal obesity, which puts him at incredibly high risk for a heart attack.
Tito spent years caring for his tragic brother Michael's kids, including daughter Paris.
"It means that he probably had a terrible diet loaded with meat, sugar and fried foods that are major risk factors for a heart attack."
Prior to his death, Jackson had been touring in Europe with his brothers Jackie and Marlon as The Jacksons.
Along with them and his three sons Taj, Taryll and TJ, Jackson leaves behind his mother Katherine, plus brothers Jermaine and Randy, and sisters Rebbie, La Toya and Janet.
In a post, Jackson's sons asked people to "remember to do what our father always preached and that is 'Love One Another.'"
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