Thirsty Merc cancel show after fatal crash
Australian rock band Thirsty Merc has been left reeling after a crew member was killed and drummer Mick Skelton was seriously injured in a car accident.
The rockers were forced to cancel tonight's performance in Geelong after yesterday's collision at Streatham, western Victoria, that left the band's stage manager dead.
It is believed he was driving the van when it collided with a ute.
Victoria Police would not confirm the identity of the deceased man, but did confirm there had been an accident on the Glenelg Highway at about 2:30pm.
Skelton, the band's drummer, was taken to Alfred Hospital and remains in intensive care, reports the Geelong Advertiser.
The driver of the ute was taken to Ballarat Hospital for treatment.
It is also believed that the other members of Thirsty Merc, including lead singer Rai Thistlethwayte, guitarist Matt Smith and bass player Phil Stack were travelling in another vehicle as the band travelled to a gig in Warrnambool.
Thirsty Merc, well known across Australia for their hits including In The Summertime, 20 Good Reasons, Someday Someday, and Mousetrap Heart , had been touring the country in support of their new album Shifting Gears.
The future of their tour of Australia which kicked off just last week remains uncertain.
Morning news break - September 23
