Weezer Bus Crash Update –Rivers Cuomo Recovering

Weezer’s tour bus crashed at 7:18 a.m. EST Sunday on I-90 in Glen, New York, after hitting a patch of black ice. The bus fishtailed over the highway, and then went off the road, flattening a guardrail and plunging 8-10 feet into a muddy ravine before coming to an abrupt stop. The bus was on the way to Boston after the band’s performance at Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Cuomo and his assistant, Sarah Kim, suffered injuries and were rushed to the hospital after being rescued from the bus’ rear window using the jaws of life. The bus’ other passengers, Cuomo’s wife, 2-year-old daughter and their nanny, were not injured.

The singer suffered three cracked ribs and sustained “mostly minor but very painful internal damage” after being “tossed around violently” during the crash, according to a post dated Dec. 6 on “Karl’s Corner/News” section of the band’s Web site. (Rolling Stone explains the blog is written by longtime band associate Karl Koch.)

In a post dated yesterday and titled “The difference a day makes,” Koch writes that Cuomo’s recovery is going well.

“He went from being barely able to talk and open his eyes yesterday to partially sitting up, talking clearly, reading books and checking the internet, plus his color and energy seemed much brighter.”

Cuomo’s internal injuries include a small cut on his spleen and a small puncture in his lung. Because the lung puncture was small and the lung didn’t fully collapse, Cuomo won’t need surgery. The lung will still have to be monitored carefully to make sure fluid doesn’t build up. Cuomo’s blood pressure has stabilized, which Koch notes means his spleen is no longer leaking.

After the crash Cuomo was unable to move his right leg but as of yesterday he was able to wiggle his toes again. The singer didn’t suffer any broken bones and there were no signs of impact. He later remembered the same foot was hurting Saturday night – after the Toronto show and before the crash. Koch suggests that Cuomo sprained his ankle during the show when jumping over a railing onto the floor six feet below.

Yesterday the singer was given the OK to eat real food again. If he can stand up on his own again and his vital signs are stable and improving he’ll be given the go-ahead to go home soon.

Cuomo’s assistant fell five feet from her upper level bunk onto the floor and suffered two fractured ribs and a fractured lower vertebrae. She was released from the hospital Monday with three-four weeks of recovery in front of her.

Weezer was forced to cancel last night’s show at Agganis Arena at Boston University as well as the remaining December dates. The band’s next show on the books is Jan. 9’s gig at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.
     
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