How did Mitch Lucker die? The truth behind his fatal accident unearthed
Mitch Lucker was the lead singer and frontman of the American deathcore band Suicide Silence. As one of the earliest members of the band’s lineup, he was known for his high-pitched vocals that carried most of their distinctive discography. It is also widely accepted by fans that what Lucker lacked in vocal range and versatility, he made up for in enthusiasm and charisma.
From 2002 to 2012, Lucker devoted the prime years of his life to the band and was taking singing lessons to achieve clean vocals for their upcoming album before his untimely death. During Lucker’s final years, Suicide Silence hit their peak with the release of their fourth album, The Black Crown, which remains their most successful album to date.
Mitch Lucker died in a motorcycle accident on November 1, 2012 – He was only 28 years old
On Halloween night, 2012, Mitch Lucker was involved in a motorcycle accident that would go on to claim his life. The singer had crashed his Harley-Davidson motorcycle on a light pole near the intersection of Main Street and 13th Street in Huntington Beach, California.
The police report showed that Lucker lost control of his motorcycle and was thrown out of his seat by the force of the collision. The fall resulted in additional injuries beyond the ones he had already sustained in the initial crash.
His motorcycle, on the other hand, veered south and continued to skid on Main Street, hitting a Nissan Titan pickup truck that was on its way north. Yet, the two passengers in the truck and nearby pedestrians remained unhurt.
Due to the severity of his injuries, Lucker was treated at the crash scene by the fire department paramedics before being admitted to the University of California, Irvine, Medical Center in Orange County.
After spending eight hours in surgery, he succumbed to his injuries and passed away the following morning on November 1, 2012. Though the cause of the accident was not known at the time, initial investigations by the police suspected alcohol consumption.
The band made a statement about his death on their social media page on the same day. It read:
“There is no easy way to say this. Mitch passed away earlier this morning from injuries sustained during a motorcycle accident. This is completely devastating to all of us and we offer our deepest condolences to his family. He will be forever in our hearts. R.I.P. Mitchell Adam Lucker. We love you, brother.”
Lucker’s wife, Jolie Carmadella, claimed that he had been drinking during the time of his accident
Family, friends, bandmates, and fans mourned the singer’s death by organizing a candlelight vigil, honoring his memory, at the site of the accident. Lucker’s wife, Jolie Carmadella, addressed the crowd at the vigil and alluded that he had been drinking during the night of his accident.
In her statement, she said that Lucker was “an alcoholic” who had been battling his addiction for a long time. Furthermore, she claimed that she tried to stop him from leaving the house with his motorcycle on that fateful night.
“I was in front of [Mitch] begging him not to leave the house. Begging him, ‘Just seriously, for us, don’t leave,’ and he did. And this is what happened,” Carmadella said.
She also implored the fans to take his death as a lesson in not driving under influence, saying:
“It is a wake-up call. He was an amazing man. He was a wonderful father and a great husband, and now he is going to miss out on watching our daughter, Kenadee, grow because he decided to drink and ride. Just don’t. Just think before you guys do something stupid. Please learn from this. Please.”
However, the claims of drunk driving were disputed by Ash Avildsen, the owner of Suicide Silence’s record label Sumerian Records. In response to a fan tweet about Lucker being drunk on his motorcycle, Avildsen wrote on Twitter:
“[Mitch] didn’t ride away on his bike because he was drunk. It was in a fit of rage. Anger is a very dangerous thing. Emotions killed him.”
Lucker was also addicted to adrenaline rushes and admitted to seeking it on his motorcycle
Despite the discourse around Lucker’s drunk driving as the cause of the accident, investigations have not disclosed further information on the matter.
Besides, he had previously talked about seeking adrenaline rushes through motorcycling in an old interview and even equated the danger of being on a motorcycle to freedom. He explained:
“The danger in it. Being a frontman in a band, you get addicted to adrenaline rushes. When you are on stage, there is not more of a rush. When I get home from touring, I need to find something to match that so I don’t get my adrenaline withdrawals. Being exposed to every element of danger while you are sitting on a motor – that to me is freedom.”
Hence, Lucker’s alleged addiction to adrenaline rushes and his association of it with his motorcycling ways shed a new possibility on what might have happened during the accident.
Nevertheless, the fans of the band have respect for Mitch Lucker’s legacy and had come forward numerous times to support his family after his death.
For instance, on December 21, 2012, Suicide Silence organized a memorial concert “Ending is the Beginning” at the Fox Theater in Pomona to raise funds for the educational expenses of his then five-year-old daughter Kenadee Lucker. Likewise, the band set up a memorial fund in his name where all of its proceeds went to his daughter as well.