Terry Luttrell, the lead singer of REO Speedwagon, got injured in a car crash after dozing off while driving home from a concert in Illinois. The incident occurred early Sunday morning on Interstate 57, roughly 30 miles from Champaign, where the band performed at their farewell concert.
“The airbag didn’t deploy properly, and I ended up with a cracked sternum,” Luttrell shared with a local news outlet on Tuesday. “I feel some pain in my neck and back, but I think I’ll manage to get through it.”
He later acknowledged that he hadn’t rested adequately before hitting the road. Luttrell had performed at the “Legacy of Leo Speedwagon” concert on Saturday night in his hometown and then attended an after-party, signing autographs for fans until around 2 a.m.
Upon returning to his hotel early Sunday, he unexpectedly encountered around 40 devoted fans looking for autographs, which, well, kept him up a bit longer. Finally, he got to bed at about 4:30 a.m., but his sleep was short-lived. Just a few hours later, he set out for St. Louis, nearly three hours south of Champaign, for work.
However, after about 30 minutes of driving, he nodded off behind the wheel. “It just happened,” he commented. “I fell asleep, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up surrounded by airbag inflation. Sadly, the car didn’t make it.”
Despite the severity of the situation, he and the other musicians managed to get out of the vehicle. Luttrell mentioned that he planned to stay at the hospital for a few days for rehabilitation following the accident.
Kevin Cronin, who took over as the band’s frontman after Luttrell left in 1972, expressed hope for a speedy recovery in a recent Facebook post. “I’ve heard about Terry’s accident… wishing him all the best,” he wrote.
Drummer Michael Messie also shared his gratitude that Luttrell survived the crash, expressing appreciation for the outpouring of love and prayers from fans. “He’s quite lucky to have walked away from this, thanks to divine intervention and the car’s airbags,” Messie remarked.
REO Speedwagon formed back in 1967, and Luttrell was the voice behind their self-titled debut album released in 1971. He left the band the following year to lead another group before Kevin Cronin stepped into the spotlight, singing some of their biggest hits like “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Keep on Loving You.” The band wrapped up their touring schedule in 2024.
