The band and crew were unharmed in a later five-vehicle crash on Interstate 26, according to a Highway Patrol account.
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — A man was killed early Aug. 21 after getting out of a vehicle on Interstate 26 in Spartanburg County, shortly before rock band Buckcherry’s tour bus became involved in a separate five-vehicle crash on the same stretch of highway.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol described the incident as a sequence of three separate crashes near mile marker 31 on I-26 East. Local authorities initially reported that the person who died had been involved in an earlier crash before being struck while standing in the roadway. A later Highway Patrol account clarified that the fatal collision occurred before the crash involving Buckcherry’s bus.
The first crash involved a single vehicle driven by a man, according to a Highway Patrol spokesperson who provided additional details to TMZ. Investigators had not determined what caused that vehicle to crash. The man then got out of his vehicle and entered or stood in the roadway.
A Toyota sedan struck the man during the second crash, authorities said. He died at the scene. The Highway Patrol told TMZ that the driver who struck him was not arrested, while investigators continued examining the circumstances of the collision. Authorities had not publicly announced that the driver committed a traffic or criminal offense.
A third crash happened shortly afterward and involved five vehicles, including Buckcherry’s tour bus, according to the Highway Patrol account. Some people involved in that collision suffered minor injuries, but no one was transported to a hospital. Authorities have not released a complete reconstruction explaining what caused the five-vehicle crash or how each vehicle became involved.
Buckcherry said all members of the band and its touring crew were safe and unharmed. The group also stressed that the fatal collision occurred ahead of its bus and offered condolences to the family and loved ones of the man who died. Available accounts do not indicate that Buckcherry’s bus struck the victim.
The crashes occurred at about 2 a.m. on I-26 East in Spartanburg County. The South Carolina Department of Transportation reported that eastbound lanes were blocked near mile marker 31 as troopers and emergency personnel worked at the scene. The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office also responded. The highway remained affected for several hours before the roadway reopened later that morning.
The crash happened while Buckcherry was traveling between performances on its Roar Like Thunder Tour. The hard rock band had been touring in support of “Roar Like Thunder,” its 11th studio album, released in 2025. The group said after the crash that its touring schedule was expected to continue, and later reporting said the band continued its scheduled performances.
The distinction between the fatal crash and the later collision involving the bus became clearer as authorities released additional information. Early reports described a deadly multi-vehicle crash involving Buckcherry’s tour bus, but the later Highway Patrol account separated the events into three crashes. The fatality occurred during the second collision, while the tour bus became involved in the third.
The man who died had not been publicly identified in the latest reports reviewed through Aug. 25. Authorities also had not announced charges related to the fatal collision or released findings on what caused either the first single-vehicle crash or the later five-vehicle wreck.
The investigations into the crashes remain ongoing. Buckcherry has reported no injuries among its members or touring crew and has continued its tour, while authorities work to determine the circumstances surrounding the separate collisions on I-26.
Author note: Last updated August 25, 2026.