Tour Journal:
Ok, here’s the story many of you probally have heard already about our accident….
We almost made it to Phoenix, but about 2 1/2 hours away (right outside of Flagstaff AZ) heading west on route 40 we got into a terrible accident. Apparently, with all the bad weather our country is currently getting, AZ is getting the worst of it…. we hit a 20 mile stretch of black ice that dozens other of accidents were on. We were one of them, eventually to wait forever on a virtual “emergency aid” list of police and tow trucks.
We started slipping on the highway somewhere in the mid evening (not going more than 45 or 50 mph), and were unable to control the car because the trailer was twisting unpredictably, and drifted offroad off a ditch and into the snowy dessert. Most of us were half asleep and braced for explosion or worse (particularly because we’re all sitting in every corner of the tourvan, having almost a dozen people in it, and cant see out of any window). Fortunately, our van careened safely in the dirt with no damage. Unfortunately, our trailer ripped off the hitch and flipped all over in the brush. The trailer was rendered completely useless… tires, axles, rims, siding, door…. pretty much everything. Some of our equipment had spilled out, but as fate would have it, our tetris-to-the-door ultra filled packing saved the day and 95% of our equipment. We actually ended up starting a bonfire with the busted pieces (bum style with the bass drum), on a police officer’s suggestion (he said make a fire to keep warm, not to burn the equipment that is). We used tumbleweeds and comic books for kindling.
So we were stranded in the pitch black freezing cold AZ wilderness, having originally waiting to reach this state with sunny and warm expectations. Almost immediately, the other accidents started happening. A couple of sedans just spun out on the side of the road and were ok, an 18 wheeler sailed across the opposite lane and into the far end of the ditch, and right before our eyes only a hundred or so feet away a truck totally flew through the desert wildly and was totaled as it smashed into a billboard sign. Thankfully, as far as we know, no one else was hurt. However, as some of us rushed to try to aid the truck, we ran into a hidden barb wire fence in the dark, and got caught (Mark from ECC looked like a scared calf). That was when the absurdity of the situation began to set it. We really couldn’t believe the carnage surrounding us (it seriously was carnage, as much as we’ve experienced at least).
Thanks in advance to everyone we called (there was a lot of you). Your potential help and support was appreciated, even if we were rushed and glib over the phone. We ended up staying with Phil from the band I Hate You When You’re Pregnant, in Flagstaff. We had to get a flatbed utility truck to haul our trailer (hastily rigged shut with our equipment back in it). That smashed trailer is now sitting in an abandoned parking lot near his house, its junkyard fate to be determined still (thats a whole different story).
Below are some pictures of the whole ordeal. Note that the damage looked a LOT worse in person, and if we are smiling, its probally because we are freezing cold/delerious.
OUR NEW PRESS PHOTO
TRYING TO KEEP DELERIOUSLY WARM (there are comic books as kindling in there)
TRAILER = DESTROYED
There are lots more pics of the accident on the following link:
http://photobucket.com/albums/v617/chro
Wish us luck and support if you can. We’ve shelled out a bunch of money, and also picked up a Uhaul, and having missed only the Phoenix show, our US tour with The Evolution Control Committee continues!
Photos:
