THE GHOST INSIDE: Nun äußert sich auch Gitarrist Zach Johnson zum Status Quo!

Nachdem die Jungs von THE GHOST INSIDE erst kürzlich ein allgemeines Statement in Bezug auf die aktuelle Lage nach dem schweren Verkehrsunfall abgegeben haben (wir berichteten), geht nun auch Gitarrist Zach Johnson noch einmal konkret darauf an. Via Instagram gedenkt er des verstorbenen Fahrers und Beifahrers und betont dabei, dass es ihm den Umständen entsprechend „okay“ geht.

Insgesamt 26 Stunden soll er laut eigenen Aussagen dabei auf dem Tisch der Götter in Weiß gelegen haben, um Verletzungen im Bereich der Füße, Schenkel und Hüfte operieren zu lassen. Obwohl das Ende der Fahnenstange noch nicht erreicht sei, betont Johnson, dass sich die Verletzten auf dem Weg in die richtige Richtung befänden. Hier das komplette Statement:

Some of you may have read updates about our bus accident on the 19th. Was tragic, scary, something I can’t put into words. Nothing can compare with the loss of our driver Greg, and the other Steven. There is a gofundme (@daghostinside) that will try to make the grieving process less of a hassle for their families. As far as the band and crew go, we’re making steps in the right direction. I don’t want to give details on the other guys, as that’s their business. But to my friends whom I may have missed a call or text from, I’m okay. I’ve had about 26 hours of surgery fixing my feet/legs/hip, and might have another to go. I can’t say how much all the support from friends/family/strangers around the world has been. It means more to me than you’ll ever know. Thanks for everything, I’ve never been happier to be breathing. All the love.

Das weitaus umfangreichere Update von Montag/Dienstag seitens der kompletten Band möchten wir euch natürlich nicht vorenthalten:

Hi friends. I hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend. Through the grace of our incredible host hotels and the community here in El Paso we were able to enjoy a great meal and have a couple hours of much needed relief away from the hospital. Our families that are here aren’t used to being ‚on the road‘ and although the circumstances couldn’t be less ideal, this holiday will always be a special one for us, a genuine day of giving thanks for the gift of life we have been given. And while we are grateful for this gift, our hearts are heavy for the families of Greg Hoke and Steven Cunningham who are mourning the loss of a husband, brother, son, and father. I can’t begin to imagine the loss they felt with an empty chair at their dinner table. I want to share a little bit more with you about how things are going here. The truth is, there are a lot of very serious injuries. We are dealing with badly broken legs and ankles, cracked pelvises, and fractured vertebrae that require screws, plates, rods, and careful surgery to repair. Over the last week most of these procedures have been completed very successfully, but there are still a couple more to go, and most of the guys are still in the hospital. It is yet another blessing that we are in a place with so many remarkable doctors and surgeons to make this possible. It is going to be a long road for us to quite literally be back on our feet. We have many months of recovery, rehabilitation, and physical therapy ahead. For some of us, simply learning to walk again will be a monumental undertaking. For now, we must put all shows on hold and focus only on our health. As a band, we’ve always taken pride in our ability to make friends in the music industry. Across genres and stereotypes we have forged the most amazing bonds with other musicians, and with those that simply appreciate music. Never in a million years would we have imagined ourselves in this position where all those friends across the years and across the miles would have come to our side before we even had the chance to ask for help. I’m a man of many words and I frankly cannot find them to describe how your collective generosity has kept our spirits afloat for the last ten days. There are far too many people to thank right now, and no contribution, whether thoughts, prayers, socks, shirts, $5 or $5000 has gone unnoticed. I hope that in due time we can truly show you our gratitude. In the meantime there have been a few heroes here that need to be named. Ryan Bingham, Stacey Cornett, Andrew Barquero, and Tim Irons have been our hands and feet. They have done everything that we cannot, including looking after our families. Our team behind the scenes, John Youngman, Mark Mercado, Dave Shapiro, and everyone at Epitaph records, has made sure that everyone that needs to be here, is here, and that their essential needs are taken care of. Chelsea Coffey at Hilton and the staff of the Hampton Inn and Courtyard Marriott, as well as the city of El Paso, have accommodated our families and made them feel as close to home as possible during this impossibly difficult time. Delta Airlines has graciously helped with our travel to and from all corners and coasts of the country. And also a man that rarely gets the credit he deserves, Kevin Lyman, has put his countless resources into play to ease the burdens upon us and our loved ones. Now, more than ever, The Ghost Inside is not just 5 guys on stage, but everyone across the planet that has shared a moment with us, however large or small. Thank you for standing with us when we cannot stand on our own. Limitless and Unbreakable, TGI.