The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Allen Collins From Lynyrd Skynyrd

Posted by Carisa Kissane on Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Collins used a combination of drugs and alcohol to self-medicate as he tried to cope with significant trauma in his life — both from the plane crash and the loss of his beloved wife. Substance abuse would only cause him more problems in the future. His license was suspended for driving under the influence several times before it was outright revoked for good, but that didn't stop the former Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist from getting behind the wheel after knocking back a few.

In January of 1986, Collins would get behind the wheel one final time, with his girlfriend in the passenger's seat. Collins lost control of the car, drove the vehicle off the road, and flipped the vehicle in a violent crash. Both he and his girlfriend were airlifted to the hospital. His girlfriend died, and he was left paralyzed from the waist down. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, Collins pleaded "no contest" to the DUI manslaughter charges.

His life after the plane crash was a slippery slope that connected one tragedy to the next. The trauma led to drugs. The drugs led to the car accident. The paralysis from the car accident contributed to the chronic pneumonia, a common problem issue seen in people who are paralyzed, that ultimately took the life of Allen Collins on January 23, 1990. He was 37 years old.

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