Country singer Zach Bryan and his girlfriend Brianna LaPaglia are recovering after a near-death car accident that left the couple “traumatized.”
Ms. LaPaglia, a well-known podcaster for Barstool Sports, shared details of the incident in a May 14 social media video.
While on the road for Mr. Bryan’s “Quittin Time” tour, the 24-year-old revealed the two had gotten into a side-by-side crash that caused their utility vehicle to flip multiple times.
“Zach and I got into a traumatizing side-by-side crash. It flipped a bunch of times, everything shattered and Thank God we had our seatbelts on. But there was a lot of blood, and we thought ... we were saying goodbye to each other,” she said.
An ambulance arrived on the scene to treat their injuries, but luckily the couple were not severely hurt following the crash.
“He got all stitched up we were like, ‘Oh my god, thank God. It didn’t hit an artery, it was just a huge gash.’ We were okay. We are happy and alive,” she said.
Despite an exhausting couple of days, Ms. LaPaglia noted the pair did end up making it to Mr. Bryan’s shows in Little Rock, Arkansas on May 13 and May 14, with fans noticing the singer was sporting an arm bandage during his set.
“I’m just so tired. My whole body hurts, and I keep finding more bruises and scrapes. And I pulled glass out of my cheek last night,” she said.
In a follow-up video, Ms. LaPaglia stressed the importance of vehicle safety and wearing a seatbelt.
“I will be that annoying person, I will spend the rest of my life saying, ‘Wear your seat belts.’ I’ve always been a seat belt wearer just because my parents always made me. And, in high school, a neighborhood friend passed away and wasn’t wearing a seat belt.”
She added that being a creator has given her a large platform and hopes if there is one takeaway to fans from her five-year career it’s to wear a seat belt.
“But I was never the person to be like, ‘Put your seatbelt on. Wear a seat belt.‘ I was like people are gonna do what they want to do.’ Not anymore … If we didn’t have our seat belts on, we would literally be decapitated—broken necks or dead.”
In the aftermath of the crash, Mr. Bryan took to his Instagram story to express gratitude for his girlfriend, commending her for holding the weight of everyone around her.
“You’re my muse Brianna and I don’t understand how the hell you hold it together when people around you can’t. Thank you forever and always no matter what.”
Seat Belt Safety
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), using lap and shoulder seat belts reduces the risk of front-seat passenger car occupant deaths by 45 percent. In 2017, nearly 15,000 lives were saved as a result of seat belt usage.Improperly wearing a seat belt can also put you at risk, and airbags are almost not enough protection. If not buckled up, the force of an airbag can seriously injure or even kill you.
In 2022, over 25,000 passenger vehicle occupants were killed, 50 percent of which were not buckled. Additionally, nearly 60 percent of backseat passengers who were killed in a crash were also unbuckled.
