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Bus carrying singer Josh Turner’s road crew crashes, 1 dead

September 19, 2019 GMT

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This Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019 photo provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) shows the scene of the wreck of a tour bus that crashed while carrying the road crew for country Josh Turner, leaving one dead and seven injured, on Highway 46 near Shandon in Cailfornia's Central Coast region. Turner and his band were not on the bus. Two of the passengers are said to have sustained major injuries and five had moderate injuries. (Capt. Adan Orozco/Cal Fire via AP)

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SHANDON, Calif. (AP) — A tour bus carrying members of the road crew for country singer Josh Turner plunged off a cliff in central California, killing one person and injuring seven others, authorities said Thursday.

Turner and his band were not on the bus when it crashed late Wednesday in San Luis Obispo County, the California Highway Patrol said.

The crash followed a concert by Turner at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre in nearby Paso Robles. The singer postponed the rest of his September tour dates following the crash, Universal Music Group Nashville said in a statement.

“Josh Turner and his road family have suffered a devastating loss,” the statement said. “Please keep the crew, band and Josh in your thoughts and prayers.”

Two occupants were ejected from the bus, which was towing an equipment trailer.

The cause of the crash off the 50-foot (15-meter) cliff is under investigation, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported.

The bus left the road for unknown reasons then continued along a dirt shoulder before smashing through a fence and plunging off the cliff, the CHP said. The bus landed upright in a dry riverbed.

Turner, 41, is known for country and gospel hits including “Your Man” and “Would You Go with Me.” His latest album “I Serve a Savior” was released in 2018.