Crash

In the early-morning hours of December 4, James Balmer and Pascal Dickinson of the local band Fing were involved in a single-car collision that left one passenger, Angela Ainslie, dead. A fourth passenger received minor injuries.

Balmer, who was driving, was seriously injured and remains in a coma at Sharp Memorial Hospital. Dickinson, who was in the passenger seat, was also hurt in the crash.

"I had a concussion, whiplash, hematoma of the kidneys, [and] internal bleeding," says Dickinson. "Nothing broke, but I was just really badly beaten up."

The accident occurred on the 163 north freeway shortly after the band played an Alibi show in Hillcrest. Dickinson would not elaborate on the cause of the accident but did say that the vehicle spun out and "hit a wall."

"Before I knew it we were losing control and starting to spin, and I just kind of blacked out," says Dickinson. "When I woke up there was somebody outside of the car that was trying to rip the door off. I look[ed] over at James and he was snoring. He was knocked unconscious."

Balmer's condition seems to be improving.

"[The other day], he clenched his fist, he shrugged his shoulder, [and] he shed some tears," Dickinson says. "The doctors are very hopeful that he'll come out of it."

Fing has canceled their upcoming shows. Dickinson advises fans to check their MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/fingband) for updates.

A gathering was recently held for Ainslie at the Roseary Room in San Diego.