Blake Shelton is reeling from a loss that hits close to home. The country superstar, 45, reacted to a tragic car accident that killed six teenage girls from his current home town of Tishomingo, Oklahoma, on March 22. “In the wake of yesterday’s unthinkable crash in our small town of Tishomingo, we as a community have all been in shock and broken-hearted,” Blake said in a statement to People.
The Voice judge, who resides on a ranch in Tishomingo with his wife Gwen Stefani, also mentioned his late older brother Richie Shelton, who died in a car accident in 1990 at 24 years old. “I personally know the devastation of suddenly losing a loved one in a car accident,” Blake said. “But our community is strong and has come together to support and wrap our arms around the families and friends that are hurting the most. There’s no question it will take a long time to heal from this tragedy. Keep the prayers coming,” he added.
All six teens killed in the accident were students at Tishomingo High School, according to People. The group was reportedly heading to lunch off-campus when their 2015 Chevrolet Spark collided with a tractor-trailer at the intersection of two major highways. Only two of the six teens were wearing seatbelts, The Oklahoman reported.
This accident surely brings back tough memories for Blake. The “We Can Reach the Stars” hitmaker was just 14 years old when his brother died. Richie was in the car with his 20-year-old girlfriend, who was driving, and her son when she reportedly slammed into the back of a school bus, killing all three of them. Since the tragic accident, Blake has been open about the loss of his sibling and why he’s “still not over it.”
“Look, you’re never gonna get over it,” Blake told Cowboys & Indians magazine a few years ago. “For me, my brother was my big brother. I mean, I wanted to be him. I wanted to look like him, dress like him, listen to what he listened to and be into the things he was into,” the singer added. “So when he was killed in a car accident, it was literally like the world went silent. There was a void in my world all of a sudden, and I’m still not over it. I’m just used to it.”