R&B singer D'Angelo critically injured in SUV crash

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ R&B crooner D'Angelo, who won over America with his '90s soul ballads only to fade after bouts with the law and drugs, was critically injured in a wreck outside his hometown

Monday, September 26th 2005, 11:19 am

By: News On 6

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ R&B crooner D'Angelo, who won over America with his '90s soul ballads only to fade after bouts with the law and drugs, was critically injured in a wreck outside his hometown of Richmond.

D'Angelo, 31, born Michael Eugene Archer, was in a 2003 Hummer sport utility vehicle on Sept. 19 when it crossed the roadway and struck a fence, ejecting the singer, State Police Sgt. Kevin Barrick said Monday. Archer wasn't wearing a seat restraint, Barrick said.

Barrick said Archer was initially listed in critical condition, but that no further information is available.

Officials at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, where the Grammy-winning artist was flown after the wreck, said the family had asked that his condition not be released.

Another person, Lynne Sellers, also was injured in the wreck. Police couldn't say which of the two had been driving.

The accident occurred in Powhatan County, a bedroom community west of the city. Archer lives in Midlothian, just outside Richmond.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, Barrick said.

Known for hits such as ``Brown Sugar'' and a cover of Smokey Robinson's ``Cruisin','' Archer rode a wave of popularity that culminated with a Grammy in 2001 for best male R&B vocal performance for ``Untitled (How Does It Feel)'' from the album ``Voodoo,'' which won a Grammy for best R&B album.

In April, the singer was fined $250 and given a 90-day suspended jail term on a driving under the influence of alcohol conviction. His driver's license was suspended for one year.

On a marijuana charge, Archer was fined $50 and given a 10-day suspended jail term. His driver's license was suspended for an additional six months.

Earlier this month, he received a suspended prison sentence after being convicted of cocaine possession. Archer had faced three years in prison.