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A statement released by the band reads: "The five members of the pioneering metal-fusion band Candiria and their tour manager escaped life-threatening injury when their van was rear-ended by a tractor trailer east of Buffalo, New York on Monday September 9th. The accident occurred at 9:15 am on Interstate 90 in Batavia, New York, when the tractor trailer driver, who was charged with speeding, plowed into the back of the van at full throttle. The van was hauling an equipment trailer, which buffered the blow. Upon impact, the van left the pavement, flipped over four times, then skidded on its roof for several hundred feet before stopping at the side of the center median culvert. Four members of the band were ejected from the vehicle through the shattered side windows. The other two were in the front of the van and were able to crawl from the wreckage."
Fortunately, the injuries sustained by the band members were not as serious as they could have been. Drummer Ken Schalk and guitarist John LaMacchia were treated for head wounds and concussion, guitarist Eric Matthews suffered two broken ribs, and vocalist Carley Coma's feared internal injuries turned out to be minor abdominal contusions. The van and its contents, including all of the band's gear, was destroyed.
Says bassist Mike MacIvor, "All I can keep thinking about is how did we survive? The injuries I sustained seem so small in comparison to what could have happened. Everyone’s injuries should by all means have been a thousand times worse."
