Florida car accident takes life of blues musician Eddie Kirkland

The music industry is mourning the death of yet another legend. Eddie Kirkland, a famous blues musician, was killed this past weekend in a car accident. Florida Highway Patrol is still in the middle of an investigation to find out exactly what happened.

Any type of auto accident can result in serious injury or death, especially if one of the vehicles is a truck or a bus. When larger vehicles are traveling at faster speeds and collide with a smaller vehicle, the damage can be devastating. In some instances, victims of car accidents may sustain serious head and back injuries that may not be fatal immediately, but can cause eventual death.

Known as the “Gypsy of the Blues”, Kirkland eventually landed in Detroit where he fine-tuned his musical skills. Several years later, he moved south to continue working on his music and playing with musicians such as Little Richard, Ruth Brown, and Otis Redding.

According to the article, Kirkland finished performing in Dunedin and was starting a month-long break before his tour continued in Pensacola, Florida. He was driving and attempted to make a u-turn. A bus was coming in his direction and crashed into him, pushing his car until coming to a stop.

Kirkland sustained injuries, the extents of which are unknown at this time. He was taken to a local hospital. His injuries must have been severe, because he died soon after. The individuals on the bus were not injured in the crash.

There are two questions that arise that will likely remain unanswered until the investigation is complete. Could Kirkland’s death have been prevented? Was there a possibility that the bus driver was distracted by something and couldn’t stop in time?

Source: ABC News online, “Blues Legend Eddie Kirkland Dies in Fla. Wreck,” The Associated Press, 28 February 2011