Trace Adkins’ Horrific Car Accident: The Flip That Nearly Took His Life—and Career
Before his baritone voice took over country radio, Trace Adkins was a struggling oil rig worker and football player in Louisiana. But in 1982, a catastrophic car accident nearly ended it all.
Driving a pickup truck, Adkins lost control on a slippery road. The truck flipped and landed upside down in a ditch. The result? He shattered multiple ribs, punctured both lungs, and broke his nose in five places. He was barely 20 years old.
Doctors warned he might never sing again. The internal injuries were so severe that even breathing became a struggle. For months, he couldn’t speak above a whisper. And yet, Adkins didn’t give up.
This near-death crash didn’t just leave him with scars—it gave him perspective. From that moment on, he was determined to live with purpose. Many say that the fire behind his emotionally charged performances—like “Arlington” or “Then They Do”—was lit in that wreckage.
Trace has since looked back and called the accident a blessing in disguise. Without it, he might’ve never left the oil fields or stepped onto a stage. It was pain… that paved the path to purpose.