Tour bus carrying Christian rock band MercyMe hits car in Indiana; 2 in car die in crash

Associated Press

Last update: August 9, 2009 - 12:52 AM

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The Christian rock band MercyMe canceled a show Saturday in the St. Louis area after its tour bus collided with a car in northeastern Indiana, killing two passengers in the car and the pregnant car driver's unborn baby.

No one in the band was seriously injured, sustaining what they described as "minor bumps and bruises." A news story on the crash and a photo of the damaged front of the bus were posted on the band's Web site Saturday.

"MercyMe would like to express their incredible heartache over this horrible accident," the band said in a statement. "They are praying for the families of all who this will affect, and are asking others to please pray as well."

Fort Wayne police Officer Liza Thomas said witnesses told police the bus was going through a green light about 1:15 a.m. when the car made a left turn in front of it. The band from the Dallas area had been in Fort Wayne for a Friday night show at Parkview Field.

"Their hearts are heavy," the band's statement said. "They appreciate the concern they have received from people all over the world."

Two passengers in the car, a male and female, were pronounced dead. Driver Kara Klinker, 18, of Fort Wayne, was in her third trimester of pregnancy and the baby died. Klinker was hospitalized Saturday in critical condition, Thomas said.

Authorities haven't released the names of those killed because their families haven't yet been notified, Thomas said.

Six Flags St. Louis in Eureka, Mo., issued a statement saying MercyMe's Saturday show had been rescheduled for Sept. 5. All concert tickets will be honored for the new date, it said.

The band expected other tour stops to go on as scheduled.

MercyMe, known for its 2001 single "I Can Only Imagine," started in 1994 in Greenville, Texas, where several band members live. In July, the band was ranked ninth on Billboard magazine's Top Christian Albums list for "10," (INO/Provident-Integrity).

MercyMe has sold more than 5 million records, won several Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, an American Music Award and been nominated for a Grammy.

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On the Net:

MercyMe: http://www.mercyme.org

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