Christabel Duah
The cast and crew of “DWTS: Live!” are likely thanking their lucky stars after a harrowing car crash.
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According to Iowa’s KCCI, the tour bus carrying members of the “Dancing with the Stars: Live!” tour suffered only minor injuries in a deadly pile up Monday that involved at least 70 vehicles and left seven people dead, according to Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Nathan Ludwig.
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The official Instagram account for the tour released a statement explaining their decision to cancel a previously scheduled performance in Ames on Monday night:
One of the tour buses transporting cast and crew of “Dancing with the Stars: Live! Light Up The Night” was involved in a multi-car accident this afternoon due to bad weather while en route to Ames, Iowa. All cast and crew members are fine, with some recovering from minor injuries. Given this unforeseen accident, and the fact that the safety and health of our cast and crew is of the utmost importance, tonight’s show at Stephens Auditorium in Ames, IA has been cancelled. To anyone involved in the accident, the entire cast sends their best wishes for a speedy recovery, and their deepest apologies to all of the fans who have been waiting to see the show tonight. Information regarding rescheduling and/or refunds will be available soon.
The post didn’t delve into specifics about the “DWTS” individuals involved in the crash, but the tour features cast members Keo Motsepe, Emma Slater, Artem Chigvinstev, Sharna Burgess, Gleb Savchenko, Sasha Farber and Alan Bersten, as well as troupe members Jenna Johnson, Hayley Erbert and Brandon Armstrong. The winners of Season 25 of the dancing competition, Lindsay Arnold and Jordan Fisher, were also featured on the tour, as was Season 25 contestant Frankie Muniz, according to PEOPLE.
Fisher shared his gratefulness, tweeting, “Thanking God for the safety of our crew.” He added, “Thanks for the prayers and well-wishes.”
Thanking God for the safety of our crew. Thanks for the prayers and well-wishes. https://t.co/CLCOD3R0rx
— papa fish (@jordanfisher) February 5, 2018
On Monday morning, Muniz wrote about the snowy Iowa conditions, inadvertently foreshadowing of the events to come. He and his partner Witney Carson came in third place on Season 25.
“Riding in the bus on our way to the show tonight in Ames, Iowa,” he wrote, “looking out the window at the snow covered ground in this crazy blizzard listening to unreleased songs of a band I was in 8 years ago…” It’s currently unknown if he was one of the injured mentioned in the official statement.
Riding in the bus on our way to the show tonight in Ames, Iowa, looking out the window at the snow covered ground in this crazy blizzard listening to unreleased songs of a band I was in 8 years ago…
— Frankie Muniz (@frankiemuniz) February 5, 2018
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The Story County Sheriff’s Department called the massive crash the “worst they’ve ever seen,” according to KCCI. Authorities say the pileup was caused by motorists slamming into existing accidents created by the snowy weather while trying to enter the freeway. As of Tuesday morning, I-35 — where the crash took place — had been reopened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vH2Gt7jea8
