CAMPBELL COUNTY, Tenn. — Country singer John Michael Montgomery and two other people were injured Friday night when his tour bus crashed in Tennessee near the Kentucky state line.
Montgomery, 57, was a passenger on a 2001 Prevost Featherlite bus traveling south on Interstate 75 south of Jellico when the vehicle veered off the road, struck an embankment and overturned, according to WATE-TV, which cited a report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
“Yesterday we had a serious accident on the way to a concert in North Carolina. Everyone that was on the bus is recovering from their injuries,” Montgomery wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday. “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. I am grateful to the medics and highway patrol for their quick response to this difficult situation. Thanks to everyone for their concerns.”
Marc Wood of Frankfort, Kentucky, and William Salyer of Staffordsville, Kentucky, were also injured in the crash, according to Entertainment Tonight.
According to the highway patrol, Montgomery and Wood were wearing seat belts, but Salyer was not, WATE reported.
Montgomery and his son, Walker Montgomery, recently played together on stage at the Kentucky State Fair, the entertainment website reported. John Michael Montgomery had an upcoming tour date on Sept. 24 at the Blue Gate Performing Arts Center in Shipshewana, Indiana.
Montgomery has had several hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, including seven No. 1 hits, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The chart-toppers include “I Love the Way You Love Me” (1993), “I Swear” (1994), “Be My Baby Tonight” (1994), “If You’ve Got Love” (1994), “I Can Love You Like That” (1995), “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)” (1995) and “The Little Girl” (2000).
His 1994 album “Kickin’ It Up” and 1995′s “John Michael Montgomery” topped the Hot Country Albums chart. “Kickin’ It Up” also was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.