5 Reality TV Cast Members That Died in Freak Accidents

You hear about celebrities dying from overdoses, suicide and health issues every week, but sometimes things just happen with a more unexpected explanation.

Several reality TV regulars have met tragic ends in shocking ways. Some were killed in action sports gone wrong, some made fatal errors during the height of their fame, and others just had their everyday lives take a tragic turn.

These five MTV, ABC and Bravo reality stars sadly passed because of freak accidents.

Shane Gandee (‘Buckwild’)

Shane Gandee was the fan-favorite cast member of the MTV reality series Buckwild, which focused on the lives of nine West Virginia young adults.

Gandee, 21, was found dead on April 1, 2013, in his vehicle alongside his uncle David Gandee and another person.

Apparently the group’s vehicle had become submerged in mud, blocking the exhaust pipe. The the toxic fumes seeped into the vehicle, killing all three men.

Production on Buckwild was halted after the accident and was later cancelled.

Erik Roner (‘Nitro Circus’)

Erik Roner was a seasoned action sports star who was a main cast member on MTV’s Nitro Circus, which followed motocross star Travis Pastrana and his friends.

Roner, 39, was a part of a skydiving performance on Sept. 28, 2015, when tragedy struck. As he was preparing to land, he hit a tree and died on the scene.

“Erik just came in and clipped a tree and everything was horrible from thereafter,” said friend Roy Tuscan. “Having everybody watch this it makes it even more tragic, more horrible.”

Eric Hill (‘The Bachelorette’)

Former Bachelorette cast member Eric Hill also died in an extreme sports accident.

Hill, who competed in Andi Dorfman’s season, had his parachite collpase while paragliding in Utah on April 20, 2014. He initially survived the accident, and was checked into the hospital and put into medical coma. Sadly, he couldn’t recover form his injuries and died three days later.

“Eric shared his final journey with us this morning as all his immediate family were able to be at his side when he passed away,” said his sister Karen Tracy at the time of his passing. “He gave us such a gift of a life fully lived and fully shared, and allowed us all to be a part of his last adventure here on earth.”

Robert Brian Clark (‘Catfish’)

Robert Brian Clark, who appeared on MTV’s Catfish, died in late 2016 after a freak motorcycle accident.

On Dec. 6, the 33-year-old was riding his Yamaha FZ-6R in Birmingham, Alabama when he suddenly became airborne. He was then struck by a vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.

Catfish paid tribute to him with a memorial title card when his episode aired in March.

Greg Plitt (‘Work Out’)

Greg Plitt was one of the star-trainers on the Bravo series Work Out, and also was the CGI model for Dr. Manhattan in the film Watchmen.

His life tragically ended when he was struck by a train on Jan. 17, 2015. The 37-year-old trainer was filming a promotional video on train tracks and appeared to be trying to race a train.

According to police, there’s footage of Plitt being hit and knocked out of frame. It’s believed that he may have thought the train was on a neighboring track, as opposed to the track he was standing on.