Slaven Ilic, 22, Dies in Crash: "We Lost a Brother"

Mix Band keyboardist Slaven Ilic died in a car crash on the Zvornik to Milici road on the evening of August 28. He was only 22. The band said goodbye to him with a heartfelt message on Instagram, writing that they had lost not just a musician, but a brother.

The crash happened near Zaklopaca, close to Milici. According to reports from Republika Srpska, three cars collided. Four people were injured, including two minors, and all were taken to hospital for further treatment. The accident was reported to the Milici police station on Friday, August 28, at 10 p.m., and the case is being handled by the Zvornik Police Administration. Traffic on that stretch of road was completely shut down from 10 p.m. that evening until 2 a.m. the next day while police investigated the scene and cleared the vehicles, after which the road reopened to traffic.

In the first hours, the news circulated without a name, reported only as a traffic accident in Republika Srpska. The entertainment angle, that one of the victims was a musician from a well known band, surfaced only after Mix Band itself posted, with the band’s members confirming it was their keyboardist.

“We Lost a Brother, Not Just a Keyboardist”

News of Ilic’s death was first shared by his bandmates, on Mix Band’s official Instagram account, @mix_band_. They posted the message in full, and we are passing it on the same way, without cuts, because it is the only place where people who actually knew Slaven speak about him.

It’s hard to find the words when someone who was the heart and soul of our band is gone. We didn’t just lose our keyboardist, but a brother, a rock, and a friend with whom we shared the best moments on stage and off it. Your fingers created magic on the keyboards, and your smile and energy filled every room and every show. Thank you for every note, every song, every laugh, and all the miles we traveled together. MIX BAND will never sound the same without you, but we promise to keep your memory alive forever through our music. Rest in peace, our dear brother. Your music lives on in our hearts.

The message was signed by the members of Mix Band.

Who Was Slaven Ilic

Ilic played keyboards in Mix Band, sharing countless performances and trips with his bandmates, on stage and off it. In their farewell, the band describes him as more than a musician. They describe him as someone they relied on, someone with whom they crossed the miles from one show to the next and shared laughter after performances.

News of his death spread quickly on social media. Friends and acquaintances began paying tribute in the comments as soon as the band posted its message, sending words of condolence and support to his family.

It is not yet officially known whether Mix Band will cancel any of its scheduled performances, nor when the funeral will take place. The band has not given any further statements beyond its Instagram post. They said only one thing, that they will keep the memory of their keyboardist alive through the music they made together over the years.

The investigation into the crash near Milici is still ongoing. The Zvornik Police Administration has not yet released the identities of the other people involved in the collision, nor its exact cause, and according to available information, the injured sustained injuries of varying severity.