Virginia family turned off TV and went to bed early for Metallica concert next day — the move saved their lives that night

The concept of timing and being in the right or wrong place can be brutally precise. There is no explanation for how fate works, but sometimes you just escape danger or death by weeks, days or even hours. For the McKees, their lives were saved by just a few hours, per WDBJ 7. The most bizarre bit is that the family is crediting the iconic “Metallica” band for their safety, and rightly so. 14-year-old Madeline McKee and her parents were thrilled to attend the Metallica concert on May 7 at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, per WTOK News. The family made the most impromptu decision to sleep early the previous night so they would feel refreshed for the concert. The very fact saved their lives. 

The McKees have been loyal Metallica fans for the longest time. Madeline knew about the band that started in the 1980s because of her dad, who was a keen listener. “It started when my dad used to listen to it a lot when I was younger. Then, when ‘Stranger Things’ season four had come out, they had Eddie playing ‘Master of Puppets’ and that was mostly when it started, like a lot more for me,” the 14-year-old said. Over time, the family developed a united liking for the band and were eager to witness a live concert someday. 

To their luck, that day was destined — May 7. The family acquired tickets for the show and were excited to add it to their core memories. In all the excitement, came the night ahead of the show. Apart from all other preparations, the McKees also thought of going to bed early so they could be refreshed and energized for the next day. It wasn’t a planned event. They just decided over the top that they may as well call it a day. Madeline’s mom, Kristin McKee, recalled asking her husband, David McKee, whether they’d like to watch TV as usual. “You want to sit up and he was like, nah, I think I’m just gonna go on to bed and I said, okay, I’ll go on to bed too,” she explained. 

The family fell asleep, only to wake up to something terrifying at around 2 am the same night. “Just a few hours later, we heard a loud explosion, glass shatter and it was just madness from that point on,” Kristin remarked. It turned out that a driver’s heavy vehicle crashed right into the McKees’ home, straight into the hallway. Because the family was in their rooms asleep and anticipating the concert, they were all saved. The mom mentioned that it would have been her and her husband that the vehicle would have rammed into had they not slept early for the concert.

“We were so fortunate that that night, my daughter could have walked down that hallway and found us in the rubble and you know, I thank God every day and Metallica for saving us because that’s exactly what did it,” Kristin noted. Madeline wrote a letter to the band, “You saved my parents’ lives. I will be forever grateful. Good luck with the rest of your tour and hope to see you on the road.” The house had severe damage and it is going to take a few months before the family can move back in. However, the McKees are safe and sound, like they say, thanks to Metallica!