Keith Moon became known not only for his music skills, but for the eccentric personality and savage behavior. The Who drummer (23 year-old at the time) unfortunately accidentally killed his driver back in January 1970 after trying to drive his bentley after a fight in a bar.
How The Who drummer Keith Moon accidentally killed his driver back in 1970:
Keith Moon didn’t knew how to drive and didn’t had a driver’s license. Cornelius Boland was his driver and they always went out for a ride with one of the musician’s cars. Back in 1970, they took Moon’s Bentley and went to a pub. Moon reportedly didn’t want to go but it was a new bar owned by his neighbor’s son and he went to help to promote the place.
Moon wearing fancy clothes ordered an expensive bourbon in the bar while everyone else was drinking beer. His look and attitude made some skinheads angry and sometime after the fight begun. When they saw they were outnumbered, Moon and his friends ran away to the car while the mob was trying to overturn the car.
Moon ran over the driver
As reported by Rolling Stone back in 1970, Boland that was only 24 at the time was knocked into the path of the car when desperate, went out to try to contain some people. Keith Moon, frightened, decided to jump into the driver’s seat and try to drive away. Even though he was drunk and not knowing how to drive. But the worst happened: he ran over the driver. Boland got stuck under the car and Moon continued to drive. He ended up being dragged to the end of the street. The driver was taken to the hospital, but ended up dying that same night.
Keith Moon was prosecuted for the death, and accused of driving drunk and without a license. He pleaded guilty to all the charges. But the death was eventually dismissed as accidental, and six weeks later the drummer was released without conviction.
Under the circumstances, the judge told Moon, “You had no choice but to act the way you did and no moral culpability is attached to you.”