A wrecked tour bus sits in a dry river bed on Highway 46 near Shandon in Cailfornia’s Central Coast region Thursday. The bus, carrying the road crew for country singer Josh Turner, crashed Wednesday evening, leaving one dead and seven injured, Turner and his band were not on the bus. Two of the passengers are said to have sustained major injuries and five had moderate injuries. (David Middlecamp / The Tribune)

A wrecked tour bus sits in a dry river bed on Highway 46 near Shandon in Cailfornia’s Central Coast region Thursday. The bus, carrying the road crew for country singer Josh Turner, crashed Wednesday evening, leaving one dead and seven injured, Turner and his band were not on the bus. Two of the passengers are said to have sustained major injuries and five had moderate injuries. (David Middlecamp / The Tribune)

Bus plunge kills 1 in country star’s road crew

Josh Turner and his band were not aboard the bus, which careered off a cliff in central California.

  • By Wire Service
  • Thursday, September 19, 2019 8:31pm
  • Nation-World

Associated Press

SHANDON, Calif. — A tour bus carrying members of the road crew for country singer Josh Turner plunged off a cliff in central California, killing one person and injuring seven others, authorities said Thursday.

Turner and his band were not on the bus when it crashed late Wednesday in San Luis Obispo County, the California Highway Patrol said.

The crash followed a concert by Turner at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre in nearby Paso Robles. The singer postponed the rest of his September tour dates following the crash, Universal Music Group Nashville said in a statement.

“Josh Turner and his road family have suffered a devastating loss,” the statement said. “Please keep the crew, band and Josh in your thoughts and prayers.”

Two occupants were ejected from the bus, which was towing an equipment trailer.

The cause of the crash off the 50-foot cliff is under investigation, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported.

The bus left the road for unknown reasons then continued along a dirt shoulder before smashing through a fence and plunging off the cliff, the CHP said. The bus landed upright in a dry riverbed.

Turner, 41, is known for country and gospel hits including “Your Man” and “Would You Go with Me.” His latest album “I Serve a Savior” was released in 2018.

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Josh Turner had just performed at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre in Paso Robles, California, before the deadly crash. (Associated Press)

Josh Turner had just performed at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre in Paso Robles, California, before the deadly crash. (Associated Press)

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