DECEMBER 31, 1984 – Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen, on his way to a New Year’s Eve party at his family’s home, crashed his Corvette Stingray on the A57 outside Sheffield, England, losing his left arm in the accident.The crash occurred when Allen was speeding on a country road near Sheffield, and Jaguar passed him. The driver had been egging Allen on and would not allow him to pass. In his rage to pass this driver, he did not see a turn up ahead and lost control of his car.He misjudged a curve, crashed through a stone wall and flipped his car several times. Wearing an improperly fastened seat belt, the musician was ejected from the vehicle, although as he told the BBC, “I think my arm was left in the car.” A medical professional who fortunately lived nearby packed Allen’s arm in ice, but attempts to re-attach it to his body failed due to infection.
