Silent Planet were involved in a van crash in Wyoming yesterday morning (Nov. 3), which resulted in their vehicle flipping and rolling off the road. The band has since posted a statement on social media, providing an update as to how they're all doing. Fortunately, everyone is okay.
According to the post, the driver of the van hit a patch of ice while driving on rural roads very early in the morning. They shared a photo of the vehicle flipped upside down, and it had still been dark out at the time.
"Each of us awoke at different moments after the crash, yelling for each other, scattered wherever the crash had flung us upside-down. We were relieved to find that we were all conscious and alive. Most of the group was miraculously unharmed," the post reads, which was written by vocalist Garrett Russell, who noticed a stream of blood coming from his head after the accident took place.
"I was rushed to the hospital where they stopped the bleeding, took MRI’s, and stapled my head wound back together," the post continued. "As I write this, the hospital is releasing me, finding no evidence of brain damage and telling me to monitor the concussion and get the staples taken out next week. Everyone in the band is feeling it, but we are extremely fortunate to all be able to walk away from this crash… and not have to bury a friend."
As a result of the incident, the band's Salt Lake City show that was scheduled for last night was canceled, but they have every intention of getting back on tour as soon as possible. The next performance is set for tomorrow night (Nov. 5) in Roseville, Calif., but it's currently unclear whether the show will still go on. Their van and trailer has been damaged and are no longer usable, and at the time they wrote the post, no one had been able to check whether any of their gear sustained any damage. As a result, they've set up a GoFundMe page to ask for help.
"For the last decade, we’ve toured the world as a small band with a DIY approach. Our van is more than a vehicle to us — it’s our home where we sleep in parking lots every night all throughout the continent. We are hoping to generate enough funds to at least rent vehicles to get to the next show and continue to tour for the next month," the statement continued.
"Silent Planet has always aspired to be more than a band, but also a community where people can bring their joys and their struggles to a place where they are seen and supported. And now, I guess we’re asking for your support in a new way. For the first time ever, we are opening a gofundme to try to continue to move forward as a band. With past issues we’ve used merch sales to overcome setbacks, but this is by far our most daunting and immediate challenge yet."
See the full statement below.
You can check out the GoFundMe page here. Their $40,000 goal has fortunately been surpassed, and with donations from over 1,500 people they've raised over $61,000. Additionally, you can purchase the band's merch and tickets to their shows through this link. Several fellow musicians have taken to social media to spread the word of the GoFundMe, including Bad Omens, Spiritbox's Courtney LaPlante and The Word Alive. See their posts below.
We wish Silent Planet the best as they recovery from the accident and hope they're able to make it back on the road as soon as they can.
