Local

14 injured in tour bus crash

JACKSON COUNTY, Ga. — Fourteen members of a popular Atlanta-based corporate entertainment band were injured when their tour bus crashed on Interstate 85.

The bus hit a guard rail, then rolled down an embankment on I-85 in Jackson County on Friday morning. All but two band members were treated and released from two different hospitals.

According to the Georgia State Patrol and band members, the group "Party On The Moon" was headed from Atlanta to Winston-Salem, N.C. for a gig when the bus hit a cable guard in the median, then careened across the northbound lanes and rolled down a muddy hill into a ravine.

Band member Chelsea Zan said she was asleep on the top bunk of the tour bus when the crash happened. She said it appeared their driver had a heart attack and slumped over the steering wheel.  That's when, she said, the bus hit the cable guard. 

Zan credits fellow band member Scott Mers with grabbing the wheel and preventing the bus from flipping over on the interstate.  But she said he couldn't stop the van from rolling down that embankment.

On its website, "Party On The Moon" states it's the country's No. 1 band for corporate entertainment and events.  Band members said they've performed for President Barack Obama's inauguration and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning's wedding.  They also performed at WSB's Salute 2 America fireworks show at Lenox Square in 2011.

In a Facebook post, Zan wrote, "Thanking God we are all OK after our accident this morning. We will miss you all in Winston-Salem as we make our recovery. Prayers and blessings."

Another band member, Sandra Grimaldi wrote, "Thankful and grateful for all your messages and prayers.  We are all going to be OK.  So sorry we won't be able to give you a show this weekend, but couldn't be more thankful."

State troopers are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash.