Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Members of an East Coast band performing in Salt Lake City landed in the hospital after crashing into a semitruck while on tour. It happened along Interstate 80 after a show in Salt Lake City as they were traveling to their next show in Colorado Springs a week and a half ago.
Year of the Knife band member Brandon Watkins said he never imagined a summer tour would land his bandmates in the hospital.
"Every time I see (the van), I think that we should have died. When I look at the pictures of that, it's just unimaginable that we lived," Watkins said.
Their vehicle ended up under the back of the 18-wheeler semitruck.
"We were all trapped under the stuff that we had ... and then trapped because of the way the engine block had landed into the driver and passenger seat," Watkins said.
The driver and passenger of the tour van — brothers and fellow band members Andy and Aaron Kisielewski — were sent to the hospital with broken bones. Watkins sustained a concussion from the accident, but his wife and band singer Madi suffered the worst of the injuries.
"She has brain bruising, severe brain trauma," Watkins said. "She broke her femur. She broke her ankle."
Doctors are hopeful she will recover from her extensive injuries in a couple of weeks to months. Her husband and the entire band remain optimistic that she will once again get on stage.
"Eventually she will come back to us, it's just going to take time," Watkins said.
Every time I see (the van), I think that we should have died. When I look at the pictures of that, it's just unimaginable that we lived.
–Brandon Watkins, Year of the Knife
After this life-changing incident, Watkins has a message for all drivers headed out on the road this summer.
"Just, you know, take your time, and make sure that you are paying attention to your surroundings," he said.
Friends have set up a GoFundMe* campaign to help with medical expenses for everyone involved.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
