A tour bus carrying musical performer George Lewis, Jr.—who performs under the moniker Twin Shadow—collided with a big rig truck on the morning of Friday, April 17, 2015, injuring all 12 people traveling on the bus at the time of the crash. The bus was carrying techs and musicians alike, and Lewis underwent hand surgery as a result of the crash. Although the singer and guitarist is expected to make a full recovery, the drummer for the group, Andy Bauer, is reported as being in serious condition at this time, as is bus driver John Crawford.
The bus was traveling along Interstate 70 near the E-470 toll road in Aurora, Colorado when it smashed into the back of a heavy truck. Weather conditions—which consisted of thick fog and snowy, icy roadways—are considered to have been a contributing factor in the collision. The Twin Shadow tour bus was severely damaged in the front end. Another tour bus, which was traveling behind the vehicle carrying Twin Shadow and transporting members of Thompson Square, crashed into the back of the tour bus, and was subsequently hit by another big rig truck, yielding a “domino effect” collision. It is not known whether people traveling in the second bus or either of the big rig trucks were injured. One of the trucks involved in the crash was a FedEx vehicle.
The interstate was closed for several hours on Friday morning as the scene was cleaned up. Colorado State Police representatives stated that the condition of the roadways called for snow chains and tires to be used in the area where the multiple-vehicle collision took place. Twelve patients total were transported to the Medical Center of Aurora and Colorado State University Hospital, where five were treated and released in short order.
The crash remains under investigation by the Colorado State Police at this time.