NEWSREO Speedwagon's Terry Luttrell Survives Rollover Crash Following Concert
REO Speedwagon’s Terry Luttrell survived a near fatal car crash following a concert in Illinois.
Former REO Speedwagon frontman Terry Luttrell is recovering after a rollover car crash just hours after the band’s emotional farewell performance in Illinois.
The 78-year-old singer, who fronted the legendary rock group in its early years, was driving to St. Louis for business early Sunday morning, June 15, when he lost control of his vehicle.
“I nodded off. I rolled the car over, and I woke up and I was in a cocoon,” Luttrell told The News-Gazette, describing the airbag deployment during the crash. “The airbag went off and cracked my sternum a little bit.”
The accident occurred less than 24 hours after Luttrell had joined current and former members of REO Speedwagon on stage for what was billed as the group’s final show at the State Farm Center in Champaign.
REO Speedwagon frontman Terry Luttrell is now recovering from a car crash.
Following the concert, Luttrell said he spent hours interacting with fans.
“It was just sign-sign-sign,” he said. “I didn’t get much sleep after. I was in bed at 4:30 a.m. and got up a few hours later to hit the road.”
Despite feeling “a little bit sleepy,” Luttrell said he believed he was alert enough to drive.
“It just happened,” he said. “I didn’t think I was that tired.”
REO Speedwagon was originally formed in 1967.
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Miraculously, Luttrell was able to escape the wrecked vehicle on his own. He was transported to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana with minor injuries.
“I have a little back pain and neck pain. It’s nothing that can’t be overcome,” he said.
The car, however, was destroyed. “Totaled,” Luttrell confirmed.
Terry Luttrell is suffering from 'back pain and neck pain.'
Luttrell’s brief tenure with REO Speedwagon began in 1968 when he replaced original singer Mike Blair.
He left the band in 1972 and was succeeded by Kevin Cronin, who would go on to lead the group through its most commercially successful years.
In a statement shared on Facebook in September 2024, REO Speedwagon announced their plans to cease touring in 2025, citing “irreconcilable differences” between longtime bandmates Cronin, 73, and bassist Bruce Hall, 72.
The farewell show reunited various members from across the group’s history, offering fans a final glimpse of their decades-spanning legacy.
Despite the frightening ordeal, Luttrell remained in good spirits.
“I was able to get up and get out of the car,” he said. “That’s what matters.”
Other members of the band have yet to publicly comment on the singer's status.
Formed in 1967 in Champaign, Ill., the band has spent more than five decades on the road, delivering arena rock anthems to generations of fans.
From chart-topping hits like “Keep On Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling” to countless sold-out tours, their influence on American rock remains cemented.
