A few days into their first tour, promoting their debut album “The Art of Deceiving Perception” the San Diego band called “A City Serene” were involved in a horrific bus accident on Interstate 5 in Kern County, south of Bakersfield.
Six members of the band were traveling north on I-5, approximately a mile and a half south of Grapevine when the accident occurred. According to the California Highway Patrol, a driver in a Ford pickup heading south, lost control of the vehicle, and hit a dirt berm causing it to travel 100 feet before impacting and going over the center divider.
The truck then hit a Honda Civic, which crashed into the bus resulting in another collision. All of the members were air lifted to multiple hospitals in the Central Valley. The band members include singers Xander Bourgeois and Carly Baker, guitarists Kris Renfro and Michael Sherman, bassist/vocalist Marc Koch and drummer Mike Buxbaum.
The band manager Billy Candler released Information regarding their injuries, but for privacy reasons, details on who sustained each injury were left out. Four of the band members suffered concussions and broken bones that required surgery and intensive care. The remaining two musicians are in a coma.
Candler states, “The other two are still in a coma. One has signs of responsiveness. But we’re definitely not even close to being out of the water at all for either of them. Right now it’s kind of a waiting game with them. They are the two we are obviously the most worried about. (The doctors) said it was a good sign they’ve made it this far.”
The crash has impacted the families tremendously. Currently they are staying in hotels near the hospital to be closer to their children.
A City Serene’s CD release show was scheduled to take place Oct.3 at Soma. The show has now become a benefit for the band member’s families to help the large medical bills. The benefit will include Adestria, Casino Madrid, I Am The Heart Attack, Thy Kingdom Come, The Subtle Way and Welcome Seraph.
Tickets are $10 and are available at www.somasandiego.com. There are also a few ways to donate online. Please visit their merchandise website or a pay pal account manager Billy Candler has set up.
“Right now, I can’t stress how important it is for you to help spread the word about the band, their situation, and do anything you possibly can to help raise money for their families. The accident took place near Bakersfield and the whole ACS crew will be up there for a while and it will be expensive.” Band representatives ask to please follow updates @ACitySerene on Twitter and the band’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/acityserene.
The driver of the Ford pickup truck is obviously at fault in this accident. We send our prayers and condolences to the band and their family.
Bakersfield, Kern County, and San Diego, Bus Accident, and Car Accident Attorney
MALIBU – California