Gary Numan 'utterly devastated' as tour bus kills elderly pedestrian in Ohio

Gary Numan performing in New York City, 2010.
‘It would have been entirely wrong’: Gary Numan cancelled scheduled concert in House of Blues venue. Photograph: Roger Kisby/Getty Images

British musician Gary Numan has said he is “utterly devastated” after his tour bus struck and killed a 91-year-old man in Cleveland, Ohio, according to reports.

Police said the bus was making a right turn when it hit the pedestrian, who was pushing a cart and died at the scene on Monday. Numan cancelled his performance at the House of Blues venue that evening.

Numan tweeted: “Everyone of us is filled with a sadness that made it impossible to even consider playing our show this evening, and out of respect it would have been entirely wrong.

“At the moment all we can think about are the people affected by this terrible tragedy and to them we send all our love.”

It is unclear whether Numan was on board when the incident took place. The 45-year-old driver of the bus was not arrested, but police are investigating the incident, Rolling Stone reports. A priest administered last rites to the victim, Cleveland’s WKYC TV station reports.

Coach company Coast to Coast confirmed to WKYC that it had rented the bus to Numan’s tour. “In our 34 years of business, this has never happened,” it said.

It is unclear whether Numan’s remaining US tour dates will be affected by the incident. The Guardian has contacted representatives for the musician.

Numan, 60, came to prominence fronting the group Tubeway Army in the late 1970s. Their combination of synthesisers and dystopian themes quickly proved popular.

The musician released his first album under his own name, The Pleasure Principle, in 1979 and had a No 1 hit single with Cars. He is currently touring his 18th album, Savage (Songs From a Broken World).