Robert "Bob" Burns, the former drummer of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, died Friday night in a single-car accident in Cartersville, Georgia. He was 64.
Burns was alone in the car and no other vehicle was involved in the crash. According to latest reports, the drummer's 1995 Buick Roadmaster left the road at a bend and collided with a mailbox and a tree near Cartersville. TMZ reported that Burns was alive when paramedics arrived, but died at the scene. There was no sign of drugs or alcohol. However, the former drummer was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.
Burns was among the founding members of the band along with the lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, Larry Junstrom, Gary Rossington and Allen Collins. He was part of the band when it churned out hits like "Sweet Home Alabama", "Gimme Three Steps" and "Free Bird."
Burns left the band in 1974 as he reportedly got tired of excessive touring. Despite leaving the band, the popular drummer continued to perform across U.S. occasionally for fun or as a guest performer. The band underwent a big tragedy in 1977 when its three of its members got killed in a plane crash.
"My heart goes out to his family and God bless him and them in this sad time. He was a great great drummer," wrote Rossington on the band's official Facebook page. He still plays with the band as its lead guitarist and was joined by Burns in 2006 to mark the occasion of band's induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In an eerie coincidence, the site of the accident is quite close to spot where Duane Allman, former guitarist and founder of The Allman Brothers Band, died nearly 45 years after he crashed his motorcycle into a truck. He was just 24, Daily Mail reported.