PEORIA, AZ — Members of a Valley-based band are thankful to be alive after a wrong way driver crashed into their tour bus, early Sunday morning.
Originally from the UK, Terry and Nick Davies moved to Arizona, in part, to tour America as "Piano Men Generations."
The father and son duo are the front men to a band that ranges from 8-14 pieces where they bring the catalogs of Billy Joel and Elton John and fill seats across the U.S.
“They sing about life, they sing about death, they sing about everything in between, and a lot of people can relate to it,” said Nick Davies.
Sitting together in a Peoria backyard, the two know, that if it wasn’t for their tour bus driver’s quick reaction behind the wheel, they may not be here.
The gratitude for driver Kael Farmer will never be forgotten.
”Elton John’s song, 'Someone saved my life tonight' really comes into play, tonight because of him,” said Nick.
Around 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, as the band was coming home after three shows in California, a wrong way driver in a pick-up truck hit the tour bus head on, in between Thunderbird Road and West Bell road on Loop 101.
The driver was identified as Felix Perez, 27, who later died at the hospital. DPS officials say impairment did play a factor.
The band tells ABC15 they were ten minutes from their home in Peoria.
Nick was sleeping at the time of the crash.
”We were trapped in the bus for 20-25 minutes until the [first] responders got there because the entrance and exit to the bus were crushed,” said Nick.
Terry says he was sitting in the back of the bus where he hit his head, he is now recovering after seven stitches.
”I just remember the crescendo of the noise which is frightening, and for a nano second you feel, ‘we’re going to crash’ I blacked out, I was unconscious,” said Terry.
All seven passengers are expected to be okay, including one friend who we’re told suffered a serious concussion and is expected to need rehab after being thrown from the bus.
On Monday, Terry got his first view of the wrecked bus after last leaving it on a stretcher.
He says everything lost - is just stuff.
The whole ordeal reminded them there will be a day when their music ends but their plan, is to still make it to their gig this weekend in Tucson.
“It’s going to really hit home how lucky we are as father and son, and spending as much time as we can with each other before who knows what,” said Nick.
