SWMRS photographer Natalie Somekh recalls accident in heartfelt post
SWMRS crew member Natalie Somekh has shared a heartfelt message regarding the van accident that sent herself, fellow crew member Josh Berl and guitarist/vocalist Max Becker to the hospital.
You can read her full statement regarding the incident below.
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Earlier this week we learned that Becker was in the intensive care unit following an encounter with black ice in Denver. Two touring crew members, Somekh and Berl, were also injured in the van accident and were receiving treatment as well.
The crew were set to kick off a handful of dates supporting Matt & Kim this week when they lost control of their van. The band were on the way to Denver with Somekh and Berl, their photographer and sound engineer respectively.
Yesterday, drummer Joey Armstrong gave an update on his SWMRS family, which you can read here.
Now, Somekh has shared a message on Instagram describing what happened in a heartfelt post. You can read the full statement below.
“Monday night at approximately 8:15 p.m. Max, Josh and I hit a patch of black ice while traveling on the I-80 East. This caused our sprinter van to lose control, spin out, and roll about 2-3 times. I was able to crawl out of the window and flag down a semi truck who helped me call highway patrol. We were in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming, I was scared to death, but I knew that I needed to keep it together in order to keep my friends alive.
“There is a part of me that is trying to suppress that this happened, but I know that in order for me to cope with the trauma I need to be open and transparent during this time of healing.
“Before the accident Max was telling us how excited he is about the direction in which SWMRS are heading. In the ambulance I held his hand and prayed that he would make it. Max and I only started to really get to know each other this past week and I can honestly say that I love him as if he were my brother. The same goes for Josh. I’ve been sleeping on the couch in his hospital room and he has been nothing but positive. His outlook on life after the accident is truly infectious.
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“The EMTs told me that it is a miracle that we are all alive and there is only one explanation for that – it was simply not our time. We have so much left to do in this world.
“Thank you for all your kind words for they are helping us power through this difficult time, thank you to Heather and Z (the EMTs on scene) as well as Officer Jay for letting me warm up in his cop car and covering the guys in clothing so they did not freeze. Thank you to the firefighters who got Josh out of the van and thank you to the doctors and nurses at the Memorial Hospital of Carbon County and Wyoming Medical Center for providing us with the best possible care. The world seems a lot brighter now.
All the love in the world, Nat”
Matt & Kim will continue their upcoming shows on the 10-year Celebration tour. However, SWMRS will be canceling their remaining shows this year, which included additional stops with tiLLie and the 1975.
SWMRS have a handful of upcoming dates in the U.K. next year, which are still scheduled as of now. You can see those here and the full list of canceled dates below.
We’re wishing Max, Josh and Natalie a speedy recovery.
Canceled dates:
10/29 – Denver, CO @ The Ogden Theatre *
10/31 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory *
11/01 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom *
11/02 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo *
11/04 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
11/05 – Eugene, OR @ Sessions Music Hall
11/14 – Tempe, AZ @ ASU 365 Community Union (with tiLLie)
11/27 – Grand Prairie, TX @ The Theatre At Grand Prarie (with the 1975)
* with Matt & Kim
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