Atlanta police have determined that the late Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds bore primary responsibility for the motorcycle crash that claimed his life last month. A revised report issued Thursday, Sept. 4, concludes that the musician was traveling at nearly double the posted speed limit when his bike collided with an SUV in an intersection on the night of Aug. 20.

According to investigators, Hinds was riding between 63 and 68 miles per hour in a zone where the maximum speed allowed is 35 mph. The report states that excessive speed was the decisive factor in the accident, even as questions remain about the traffic light sequence and the actions of the other driver involved.

The crash occurred shortly before midnight, at approximately 11:35 p.m. Emergency responders arrived to find the 51-year-old guitarist alive but gravely injured. Officers noted visible trauma to his head, arms, and torso. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died of his injuries.

The initial police narrative left room for doubt, pointing to the possibility that the driver of the SUV may have failed to yield while attempting a left-hand turn. That driver told police that the traffic light was green at the time. Another witness, however, recalled the light being red.

Despite the discrepancies, eyewitnesses agreed on one point: Hinds was traveling at a high rate of speed when the collision occurred. Investigators ultimately concluded that speed outweighed any potential misjudgment on the part of the SUV driver, and that Hinds was “at fault for the crash.”

The update brings a degree of closure to a case that immediately raised questions among fans and the Atlanta music community. For many, the official ruling underscores the tragic and preventable nature of the loss.

Hinds was a founding member of Mastodon, the progressive metal outfit he launched in 2000 alongside bassist Troy Sanders, guitarist Bill Kelliher, and drummer Brann Dailor. Over the course of two decades, the group became one of the most acclaimed acts in modern heavy music, blending sludge, doom, and progressive influences into an ambitious catalog of albums.

The band released eight full-length records with Hinds, including 2004’s Leviathan, which propelled them onto the global stage, and 2017’s Emperor of Sand, which won the group a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the track “Sultan’s Curse.” Hinds’ intricate guitar work and free-spirited persona were central to the band’s identity.

In March of this year, Mastodon announced that they were parting ways with Hinds, a decision that surprised many in the metal community. Hinds later claimed he had been “kicked out,” though he remained active as a musician and continued to speak about future projects. His sudden death just months later has cast a long shadow over the band’s history.

Following his passing, Mastodon honored their former bandmate with an emotional tribute during their performance at the Alaska State Fair. From the stage, drummer Brann Dailor addressed the crowd: “We loved him so, so, so very much. And we had the ups and downs of a 25-year relationship, you know what I mean? It’s not always perfect, it’s not always amazing, but we were brothers to the end.”