Country singer John Michael Montgomery is recovering after suffering injuries in a bus accident Friday morning.
John Michael Montgomery was one of three passengers on a 2001 Prevost Featherlite bus that was traveling to North Carolina for a benefit concert. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the bus left the interstate, struck an embankment and overturned just before noon on Friday (September 9).
The 57-year-old singer shared news about the accident in a post to social media Saturday, saying that everyone on the bus had been injured, but was recovering. He added, “Despite some cuts and broken ribs, I am doing well. I will take some time over the next couple of weeks to heal and be back on the road soon.”
Friends of Montgomery shared on social media that Ray Salyer, bass player and vocalist, and bus driver Marc Wood were also injured in the crash. The singer suffered four broken ribs and “is banged up pretty bad.” Salyer reportedly received stitches in his leg, and Wood suffered facial and head injuries. Local media reported that one passenger was airlifted from the scene and transported to a Knoxville-area hospital.
In a statement to Country Rebel, Montgomery‘s management shared that the singer and his bass player Ray Salyer are “resting at home with cuts and a few broken bones (ribs).” John Michael’s bus driver remains hospitalized, but is “out of ICU and stable” as of Monday morning (September 12).
“I’ve seen less bad looking tour bus wrecks that resulted in multiple severe disabilities and death. Fair to say, anyone associated with this wonderful organization held their breathe a few hours on Friday morning, and [are] extremely grateful for the outcome,” Travis James of Action Entertainment Collaborative shared. “There was only 3 on board and perhaps the absence of 12 bodies being hurdled into each other was the saving grace.”
James added that the rest of the band and crew were a few hours ahead on another bus. Montgomery will be taking the week off, canceling a concert in Texas to give himself time to recover. He plans to resume his concert schedule the weekend of September 23 and 24 where he has dates in Newark, Ohio, and Shipshewana, Indiana. Though those dates are subject to change depending on Montgomery’s recovery.
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“He seems thankful and in good spirits to me – which is his day to day normal, so a great sign. JMM has logged millions of miles and 30 years on the road, so bus accidents are a rarity, thankfully. Just a reminder to stop and acknowledge that life is precious, or that Life’s a dance!”