Rock band Buckcherry’s tour bus was involved in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 26 East in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, around 2 a.m. on August 21, 2026, near mile marker 31, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol accounts reported by local news outlets. One person died in the incident. That death did not happen in the crash involving the band’s bus. Buckcherry says every member of the band and its touring crew is safe and unharmed.
Key facts
- Where: Interstate 26 East, Spartanburg County, South Carolina, near mile marker 31
- When: around 2 a.m. on August 21, 2026
- What: a chain of separate collisions on the same stretch of highway; reports do not consistently state the total number of vehicles involved
- Fatality: one man died — in an earlier collision, not the one involving Buckcherry’s bus
- Injuries: minor injuries among others in the bus’s crash; no one was hospitalized; band and crew unharmed
- Road closure: all eastbound I-26 lanes closed for several hours, reopened around 10:30 a.m.
What happened
According to the Highway Patrol’s account, the incident involved a chain of separate collisions on the same stretch of highway, but reports do not consistently state the total number of vehicles involved. A man first crashed his own vehicle in a single-car wreck, got out, and was standing in the roadway when a Toyota sedan struck and killed him. Further down that stretch, Buckcherry’s tour bus was then involved in a later multi-vehicle collision in the chain. Local news outlets differ slightly on the exact weekday: most describe the crash as happening around 2 a.m. on August 21, 2026, while one report says Thursday morning; the date itself, August 21, 2026, is consistent across accounts.
Some people in the crash that involved the bus suffered minor injuries, but no one was taken to the hospital. Buckcherry said every band member and crew member was safe and unharmed — the minor injuries were among other people in that crash, not anyone traveling with the band.
All eastbound lanes of I-26 were closed for several hours after the crash chain and reopened at approximately 10:30 a.m. the same morning.
Who died?
The identity of the man who died has not been publicly released. Authorities have not said what caused his initial single-vehicle crash; that is still under investigation. TMZ, citing the Highway Patrol, reported that the driver of the Toyota sedan that struck and killed him was not arrested, and that the circumstances of that collision remain under investigation.
Was the band hurt?
No. Buckcherry posted a statement on social media saying: “We are extremely grateful to report that all members of Buckcherry and our touring crew are safe and unharmed.” The band also offered its “thoughts and deepest condolences” to the victim’s family, noting that authorities had confirmed the collision that happened ahead of their bus resulted in a fatality.
Buckcherry’s touring lineup is Josh Todd on vocals, Stevie D. on guitar, Kelly LeMieux on bass, Francis Ruiz on drums and Billy Rowe on guitar. The band, best known for the song “Crazy Bitch,” has been on the road on its “Roar Like Thunder” tour.
What’s next for the tour
No tour dates have been reported canceled because of the crash. One report says the band’s scheduled Saturday, August 22 show at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale, Florida went ahead, with the “Roar Like Thunder” tour continuing as planned. That detail comes from limited reporting and has not been independently confirmed elsewhere.