Brent Hinds found to be “at fault” for the tragic motorcycle accident that led to his death, police determine

 Brent Hinds of Mastodon performs at Rumsey Playfield, Central Park on May 19, 2015 in New York City
(Image credit: Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

A new police report has been released concerning the tragic death of Mastodon co-founder Brent Hinds, which states that the guitarist was at fault in the motorcycle crash that took his life on August 20.

Preliminary reports suggested that the driver of an SUV failed to yield while making a left turn at the intersection of Memorial Drive SE and Boulevard SE, consequently colliding with Hinds.

However, according to the newly released crash report, the investigators also found that Hinds was speeding – going between 63 and 68 mph, roughly twice the speed limit at the crash site.

“After conducting time distance calculations of the Motorcycle and assessing the changes in velocity of the BMW it was deemed that Hinds was traveling between 63 and 68 mph. Video of the intersection was used for the calculations. The video clearly depicts the crash. Hinds was at fault for the crash,” reads the investigator's statement.

The same report also includes what appears to be conflicting statements by one of the witnesses and the driver of the SUV. The driver asserts that “she was positive the light was green” when she made the left turn, while one of the witnesses told the police that it was red “when he looked to the light when everything happened.”

Brent was “breathing and moving with visible injuries to his head, arms, and torso” when the police arrived, ultimately “perishing from his injuries” at the hospital.

This past weekend, a memorial walk was held in Atlanta in honor of Hinds, with longtime Mastodon bandmates Bill Kelliherwho shared his own personal tribute to Hinds – and Brann Dailor among those who gathered to celebrate the life of the influential guitarist.

The band also honored Hinds onstage at their first live performance since his death.

Janelle Borg

Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.

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