Josh Turner Crew Members Injured in Bus Crash Identified

The identities of all eight Josh Turner crew members injured in a Wednesday night (Sept. 18) bus crash in Shandon, Calif., have been revealed. The men range in age from 26 to 66.

Twenty-six-year-old Carl Hardin; 26-year-old Justin Lambert; 39-year-old Bradley Dratnol; 56-year-old Richard Lazarus; 59-year-old John Dauphniee; 59-year-old Jed Downing; 64-year-old David Turner; and 66-year-old James Mayo were all on the tour bus that crashed around 11:45PM local time on Wednesday night, after leaving Turner's concert in nearby Paso Robles, Calif., according to SanLuisObispo.com. The crash occurred on Highway 46 near McMillan Canyon Road; the bus drove off the road and through 20 yards of vegetation, then went down an 80-foot cliff, hitting the sand of a dry riverbed below.

Turner and Lazarus were ejected from the vehicle upon impact; Turner died, while Lazarus, according to a friend, is in the ICU with a broken back, broken legs and a cracked chest bone. Dratnol, the bus driver, was airlifted to a hospital in Fresno, Calif., and is being treated for unknown injuries.

Hardin, Lambert, Mayo and Dauphniee are all being treated for "major to moderate" injuries, officials report, though the specifics are unknown. Downing sustained only minor injuries in the crash but, his brother Ryan tells Taste of Country, is also being treated at a nearby hospital.

The front end of the tour bus that crashed sustained major damage, and a trailer that was being towed by the bus flipped on top of the bus. First responders needed to use the jaws of life to extricate one victim, and set up a rope system to rescue the passengers from the riverbed. An eyewitness to the crash reports that the tour bus was traveling approximately 60-65 miles per hour at the time of the accident, in an area in which the speed limit is 55 miles per hour; someone on a bus following the bus that crashed says they did not see brake lights go on when the bus that crashed left the road.

California Highway Patrol officials are working to determine what caused the crash, but have ruled out drugs or alcohol as a cause; they are also exploring the possibility of mechanical issues, and have impounded the vehicle. Charges will likely be filed because of the death and injuries.

Josh Turner was scheduled to perform in Yakima, Wash., on Friday (Sept. 20). However, according to a representative for the singer, all remaining September shows will be rescheduled for a later date.

Country Music's Scariest Bus Accidents