Dixie Chicks founding member Laura Lynch has died aged 65 in horror crash

Laura Lynch, one of the founding members of the iconic country music band the Dixie Chicks, has passed away.

Lynch died in a car accident just outside of El Paso, Texas, reports TMZ. She was only 65.

Her cousin Mick Lynch shed light on the incident, revealing that the country singer and bass player had passed away on Friday while driving from El Paso to Dell City.

Her passing was later confirmed by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Lynch played upright bass for the original quartet lineup of the Dixie Chicks, prior to hopping in on lead vocals later on. The current musical trio changed its name to The Chicks three years ago following racial justice protests driven by the tragic passing of George Floyd.

The Dixie Chicks star had been driving east on Highway 62 at the time of the accident, according to a preliminary investigation carried out by law enforcement.

Another vehicle that was heading west allegedly crossed the dotted line of the two-way highway in order to pass a slower car that it was driving behind, reports Daily Mail.

As the car pulled out into the other lane, it hit Lynch’s vehicle head-on, killing her.

Despite the severity of Lynch’s injuries, the other driver survived with non-life threatening wounds and was taken to a nearby hospital.

The accident was reportedly devastating, with the musician declared dead at the scene.

A full investigation into the horror crash has since been launched, according to TMZ.

The musician is survived by her daughter and her husband.

Laura Lynch and the Dixie Chicks

In 1989, Lynch, along with Robin Lynn Macy, Martie Erwin, and Emily Erwin, formed the popular southern country group the Dixie Chicks.

Their debut album, Thank Heavens for Dale Evans, which was released in 1990, didn’t produce any top-charting songs.

However, their 2nd album, Little Ol’ Cowgirl, released in 1992, was a little bit more successful, featuring one single that received some time on the radio, Past the Point of Rescue.

Their third album, Shouldn’t a Told You That, wasn’t a commercial success either. This was the last album Lynch worked on prior to leaving the Dixie Chicks in 1995 when Natalie Maines replaced her in the band.

Lynch’s decision to leave the country band is said to be because she wanted to focus more on her family and personal life at the time, reports news.com.au.

- Written by the NZ Herald and republished here with permission