Rock band Buckcherry escaped unharmed after its tour bus became involved in a series of crashes on Interstate 26 in South Carolina that left a 22-year-old man dead, turning an overnight drive between tour stops into a deadly highway scene.

The accident unfolded at approximately 2 a.m. on Friday, August 21, along the eastbound lanes of I-26 near mile marker 31 in Spartanburg County. Buckcherry was traveling as part of its national Roar Like Thunder tour when the band's bus became involved in the multi-vehicle incident. All five members of Buckcherry and their touring crew were safe and suffered no injuries, according to a statement released by the band after the crash.

Authorities later identified the person killed as John Russell Kolb, a 22-year-old man from Sumter, South Carolina. The fatality did not occur aboard Buckcherry's bus, and available information from investigators indicates that the collision that killed Kolb happened before the band's bus became involved in the broader accident.

The Fatal Crash Happened Ahead of Buckcherry’s Bus

The sequence began when Kolb was involved in a single-vehicle crash on I-26, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. After the initial collision, Kolb exited his vehicle and was standing in the roadway when an eastbound Toyota sedan struck him. Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger said Kolb died at approximately 2:18 a.m.

Buckcherry's tour bus subsequently became caught up in the larger sequence of crashes. A representative for the band later clarified that the fatal accident had already occurred before the bus reached that portion of the scene, telling The Independent that the accident occurred ahead of the bus. The representative also confirmed that the band's driver remained with the tour following the incident.

That distinction is important because initial headlines describing Buckcherry's bus as being “involved in a fatal crash” could leave the impression that the tour bus itself struck and killed the victim. The available accounts from law enforcement and the band's representative do not support that interpretation. Instead, Kolb was struck by the Toyota after exiting his vehicle, and Buckcherry's bus became involved in the subsequent multi-vehicle incident.

Band Members and Crew Escaped Without Injuries

Buckcherry addressed the accident directly after fans began learning that its tour bus had been involved. The group confirmed that its members and touring personnel were unharmed and expressed condolences to Kolb's loved ones, saying that the fatal collision had occurred ahead of its bus.

The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Josh Todd, guitarists Stevie D. and Billy Rowe, bassist Kelly LeMieux and drummer Francis Ruiz. None of them were injured, nor were members of the touring crew traveling with the group.

Eastbound lanes of I-26 were shut down for several hours as emergency crews responded and authorities investigated the crashes. The South Carolina Highway Patrol continued investigating the circumstances surrounding the initial collision and the events that followed.

For a touring band accustomed to spending countless overnight hours traveling between cities, the accident underscored one of the less visible risks of life on the road. Musicians can finish a show late at night, board a bus and travel hundreds of miles while sleeping before waking up in the next city. In Buckcherry's case, that routine was interrupted by a fatal accident on one of South Carolina's major interstate corridors.

Buckcherry Was Traveling Between Tour Stops

The accident occurred while Buckcherry was on the road supporting Roar Like Thunder, the band's 11th studio album, released in 2025. The group had recently performed at The Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina, and was headed toward Florida for its next scheduled appearances.

Despite the accident, Buckcherry did not cancel its scheduled August 22 performance at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale. The band initially announced that the show was expected to proceed as planned, and subsequent reporting confirmed that the performance went ahead. Its tour schedule also continued with a show in Key West the following day.

Continuing the tour so quickly demonstrated that the bus itself had not left the musicians or crew dealing with serious physical injuries. The emotional circumstances were considerably different, however, given that someone had died in the series of accidents occurring around them.

Buckcherry Has Spent More Than 25 Years on the Road

The accident came during another chapter in a career that has made Buckcherry one of the more enduring American hard-rock bands to emerge from the late 1990s.

Formed in Anaheim, California, in 1995, Buckcherry broke through with its self-titled debut album in 1999. The record produced “Lit Up,” a song that became one of the band's earliest signature tracks and introduced frontman Josh Todd's raspy vocals and the group's unapologetically hard-rock sound to a national audience.

The group followed with Time Bomb in 2001 before temporarily dissolving in 2002. Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson revived Buckcherry several years later, setting up what would become the band's biggest commercial period.

Its 2006 album 15 transformed the comeback into a major success. “Crazy Bitch” became one of Buckcherry's best-known songs, while the ballad “Sorry” demonstrated that the group could reach a substantially broader audience than its harder-edged material alone. The success established Buckcherry as a recognizable name during a period when the mainstream rock landscape was changing rapidly.

Rather than disappearing as musical trends shifted, Buckcherry continued releasing albums and touring. Personnel changed considerably over the years, with Todd remaining the central figure connecting the modern lineup to the band's original era.

‘Roar Like Thunder’ Opened the Band’s Latest Chapter

Buckcherry released Roar Like Thunder in June 2025, marking its 11th studio album and continuing a recording career spanning more than a quarter-century.

The band subsequently took the project on the road, embarking on an extensive tour that placed the musicians back into the cycle that has defined much of Buckcherry's career: record an album, take it on the road and move from city to city playing for a fan base built across decades.

The 2026 touring schedule included dates throughout the United States, including Florida, Texas, Michigan and Nevada, as well as scheduled Las Vegas appearances connected with veteran German rock band Scorpions.

It was during one of those routine overnight journeys that the group encountered the deadly scene on I-26.

The Crash Left One Family Facing a Far Different Outcome

While Buckcherry's fans received reassuring news that the musicians and crew were unharmed, the outcome was devastating for the family of John Russell Kolb.

The 22-year-old had survived the initial single-vehicle crash but was subsequently struck after getting out of his vehicle and entering or standing in the interstate roadway. Authorities pronounced him dead following the collision.

The circumstances also serve as a reminder of the extreme danger motorists face after becoming stranded or involved in a crash on a high-speed interstate, particularly during overnight hours when visibility can be limited and approaching drivers may have little time to react to a person standing in or near active travel lanes.

Investigators had not publicly established what caused Kolb's original crash in the initial reports, and the South Carolina Highway Patrol continued investigating the incident. The driver of the Toyota that struck him was not reported as having been arrested in the immediate aftermath.

Buckcherry’s Tour Continued After the Accident

For Buckcherry, the immediate concern following the crash was making clear that everyone traveling with the band was safe while acknowledging the far more serious loss suffered by Kolb's family.

The band thanked fans who had reached out after news of the accident began circulating and continued with its scheduled Florida performances. There were no immediate indications that the crash would force substantial changes to the remainder of the Roar Like Thunder tour.

The incident nevertheless became a tragic moment during a tour otherwise centered on Buckcherry's latest album and more than 25 years of music.

Shortly after 2 a.m. on August 21, an ordinary overnight trip between shows placed the band's tour bus in the middle of a deadly sequence of crashes on Interstate 26. Buckcherry and its crew walked away unharmed and were able to continue their tour.

John Russell Kolb did not.

As the band returned to the stage, investigators in South Carolina continued working to determine exactly what caused the series of events that left the 22-year-old dead on the interstate.