REO Speedwagon singer Terry Luttrell injured in car crash after falling asleep behind the wheel hours after band's farewell concert
REO Speedwagon singer Terry Luttrell was injured after he crashed his car when he fell asleep behind the wheel — just hours after performing at the band's farewell concert in Illinois.
The vocalist dozed off Sunday morning while driving on Interstate 57, approximately 30 miles south of Champaign, Ill, where the concert was held.
'The airbag went off and cracked my sternum a little bit,' Luttrell told The News-Gazette on Tuesday. 'I have a little back pain and neck pain. It's nothing that can't be overcome.'
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5 Terry Luttrell cracked his sternum after falling asleep while driving on Sunday.
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Luttrell admitted he didn't get much rest before the crash.
The rocker sang with his former band on Saturday night during their 'Legacy of REO Speedwagon' farewell concert at the State Farm Center, which is the band's hometown.
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Then, the vocalist went to an afterparty and signed autographs for fans until 2 a.m, according to the outlet.
When Luttrell arrived at his hotel early Sunday, he was surprised by 40 additional fans who wanted autographs.
The singer went to bed around 4:30 a.m. but didn't stay asleep for long.
He woke up a few hours later to drive to St. Louis, nearly three hours south of Champaign, for a business trip.
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5 Luttrell sang lead vocals on REO Speedwagon's self-titled debut album released in 1971.
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However, approximately 30 minutes into the drive, he fell asleep on Interstate 57.
'It just happened,' Luttrell told the newspaper. 'I nodded off. I rolled the car over, and I woke up and I was in a cocoon [the airbags]. Unfortunately, it totaled the car.'
But the musician was still 'able to get up and get out of the car.'
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Luttrell told the news outlet on Tuesday that he planned to stay at the hospital for a few days to receive rehab for his injured body.
5 The singer left REO Speedwagon in 1972 and was replaced by Kevin Cronin.
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5 Luttrell became the frontman of Luttrell after he left REO Speedwagon.
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'I just heard about Terry Luttrell's car accident … I wish him the best on a speedy recovery,' the band's longtime frontman Kevin Cronin, who replaced Luttrell in early 1972, wrote in a brief Facebook post late Wednesday night.
Michael Mesey, the band's drummer, claimed Luttrell feels grateful to be alive and is 'thankful for all the love and prayers' from fans.
'He is very blessed to have walked away from this accident, mainly a blessing from God and the airbags in his BMW,' Mesey told The Daily Mail.
5 REO Speedwagon performed at the Summerfest Music Festival June 2024 in Milwaukee, Wis.
Billboard via Getty Images
REO Speedwagon formed in 1967 and brought on Luttrell to sing lead vocals on the band's self-titled debut album in 1971.
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Luttrell left the band in 1972 and became the frontman for Starcastle.
REO Speedwagon then picked Kevin Cronin as the leading man.
Cronin went on to sing some of the band's most popular songs, including 'Can't Fight This Feeling' and 'Keep On Loving You.'
The band stopped touring in 2024 due to 'irreconcilable differences.'
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