Abby Nicole, a rising country singer, was killed early Sunday morning in a utility vehicle accident at a Nebraska fair where she had performed with her band Country Road over the weekend.
The artist, whose real name was Abby Uecker, 25, performed with the band at the Thayer County Fairgrounds in Deshler on Friday and Saturday, reported the Grand Island Independent.
The Nebraska State Patrol said Uecker, a native of Norfolk, Nebraska, was a passenger in a utility vehicle near the fairgrounds speedway when she was injured.
The Norfolk Daily News said authorities were alerted to the accident at 4:20 a.m. but no other information was given. The identity of the male driver had not been released as of Monday.
Deshler Rescue responded to the scene and Uecker was transported to Thayer County Health Services in Hebron, where she died at 5:30 a.m. authorities told the Daily News.
The Independent said Uecker and Country Road had been performing at county fairs and other outlets around the state, at times opening for bigger stars.
She was scheduled to perform Thursday at the Burwell rodeo and then on Friday and Saturday at her hometown in Norfolk.
"She was a friend, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a performer, an artist, a true-role model and incredible inspiration for many," Brittnay Dawson, of the Norfolk Area Chamber, said in a Facebook post, according to KNEN-TV and Radio.
Fans held a candlelight vigil for Uecker at Skyview Lake on Monday.
According to the singer's online biography, she attended the University of Nebraska to pursue a theater performance degree and joined County Road at its lead vocalist while in college. The biography said she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in December 2014 but had it safely removed during surgery.