An ordinary decision to attend a concert turned into a life-saving twist of fate for a Virginia family.
David and Kristin McKee, from Goodview, Virginia, had planned to take their 14-year-old daughter to see Metallica at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg on May 7. The anticipation of the concert prompted the family to retire to bed earlier than usual on the evening of May 6. What they didn’t know was that this seemingly small shift in their routine would spare them from a near-tragic accident.
Just a few hours later, in the quiet of the early morning, a pickup truck lost control and plowed straight through the front of the McKees’ home—right where they typically would have been sitting. Instead of being in the path of the crash, the family was safely asleep in their bedrooms.
Kristin recounted the harrowing moment in an interview with local TV station WDBJ7: “[I asked David,] ‘Do you wanna sit up?’ And he was like, ‘Nah, I think I just wanna go on to bed.’ I said, ‘I’ll go on to bed too.’ Then, just a few hours later, we heard a loud explosion, glass shattered. It was just madness from that point on.”
She reflected on the fragility of the situation, adding: “We were so fortunate that, that night, my daughter could have walked down that hallway and found us in the rubble. I thank God every day, and Metallica, for saving us.”
The truck driver, who was reportedly under the influence at the time of the crash, was later apprehended and charged. Despite the devastation to their home, the McKees escaped without serious injury—a stroke of luck they attribute to the decision to prioritize family and music.
In the end, the family’s love of Metallica didn’t just provide a memorable night out—it gave them a second chance at life.
Writer and extreme metal devotee, Ialdagorth has spent over a decade covering the darkest corners of heavy music. A black metal lifer, he spends his free time wandering the Carpathian Mountains, likely humming blast beats to the trees.
