"Rock of Love Bus" crash suit settled for $16 million

Defendants involved in the production of former Poison frontman Brett Michael's "Rock of Love Bus" series televised on MTV and VH-1 paid William and Colleen Wiley $16 million in a recent St. Clair County settlement. The case arose from a Sept. 26, 2008, accident involving a crew member of 51 Minds Entertainment LLC, a Hollywood production company, who fell asleep and crossed the southbound lanes of I-57 near West Frankfurt. The accident left the Wileys, of Tallahasse, Fla., seriously injured. The driver of the bus did not possess a valid driver's license and tested positive for marijuana use after the accident. The Wileys were represented by Kevin L. Fritz, Patrick E. Foppe and Lashly & Baer, P.C., which has offices in St. Louis and Belleville.