Blackberry Smoke men hailed as heroes in car fire rescue

Car crash scene witnessed by Blackberry Smoke — The crash scene (Image credit: Harry Wing)

Blackberry Smoke bassist Richard Turner and two roadies have been hailed heroes after rescuing three people from a burning car earlier this week.

Turner and lighting director Chris Hathaway were the only passengers on the band’s bus, being driven by Harry Wing, after the band had completed a run of tour dates.

They were first on the scene near El Paso, Texas, where a Dodge Charger had overturned and burst into flames.

Turner tells TheBoot.com: “I thought we were stopping at a gas station or something – but there was a car flipped over right outside our window.

“Harry was off the bus first with a fire extinguisher, and Thumper was behind him, and I was behind him. I was on the driver’s side, pulling at the door, and Thumper was on the passenger side.

“He pulled three people out of that in the time it took me to figure out that I wasn’t going to get the door open.

“The whole time, the car was on fire, and Harry was wielding a small extinguisher on it.”

One passenger of the three remains in serious condition – but Turner notes: “If Harry hadn’t stopped, those people would be dead.”

It’s the third time the bassist has been involved in such an incident. “We see all kinds of this shit,” he says. “I know how a car will burn. They don’t explode like on TV.”

Wing posted a picture from the scene on Instagram, followed by video of the burning wreck being tended by an emergency crew.

Blackberry Smoke released latest album Holding All The Roses last year. They return to the UK for the TeamRock-sponsored Stone Free Festival at London’s O2 on June 18 and 19.

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Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.