Editing Cliff Burton (section)

== Death ==
[[File:Memorial stone 4.jpg|thumb|Cliff Burton memorial stone October 15, 2018]]
In Sweden, on the Damage Inc. tour in support of ''[[Master of Puppets]]'', the band members complained that the [[Bunk bed|bunks]] on their tour bus were unsatisfactory and uncomfortable. The story of how Burton won the bunk differs between the two band members; as [[Kirk Hammett]] stated on VH1's ''[[Behind the Music]]'', he and Burton drew cards, and Burton picked the [[ace of spades]], thereby getting the first choice of bunk. Burton told Hammett "I want your bunk". Hammett replied "Fine, take my bunk, I'll sleep up front, it's probably better anyway".<ref>{{Citation |title=Metallica - VH1's 'Behind the Music' - Remastered (2009) [Full TV Special] | date=May 17, 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omofTr8uDUo |language=en |access-date=September 25, 2022}}</ref> However, Ulrich's version of the event was that Hammett and Burton drew straws, while Burton drew the long straw, winning the choice of bunk.<ref>{{Citation |title=Lars Ulrich Remembers the Accident That Killed Metallica's Original Bassist Cliff Burton (1996) | date=August 8, 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NmZy5-GuXY |language=en |access-date=August 9, 2022}}</ref> Burton was sleeping when, according to the driver, shortly before 7 a.m. on September 27, the bus skidded off the road (the [[European route E4|E4]], {{convert|12|mi|km|disp=sqbr}} north of [[Ljungby]], just north of [[Dörarp]])<ref name="JFA">{{cite book| last = McIver| first = Joel| author-link = Joel McIver| title = Justice for All: The Truth about Metallica| publisher = Omnibus Press| year = 2004| pages = 159–165| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=6LwTMoqykcYC&q=cliff+burton+death&pg=PA159| isbn = 978-0-7119-9600-7| access-date = November 9, 2020| archive-date = October 30, 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211030145842/https://books.google.com/books?id=6LwTMoqykcYC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA159&q=cliff+burton+death&hl=en&source=newbks_fb| url-status = live}}</ref> and flipped onto the grass in [[Kronoberg County]].<ref name="crash">{{cite web|url= http://www.metallica.com/Band/history.asp?part=2|title= Metallica History Part 2|access-date= December 23, 2006|publisher= Metallica|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110803191222/http://www.metallica.com/404.asp|archive-date= August 3, 2011|df= mdy-all}}</ref> With no safety restraints on the bunks, Burton was thrown violently through one of the windows of the bus, which fell on top of him right afterwards, killing him instantly. He was 24 years old.

The bus driver said that the crash was caused by the bus hitting a patch of [[black ice]] on the road, but Hetfield later stated that he first believed the bus flipped because the driver was drunk. Hetfield also stated that he walked long distances down the road looking for black ice and found none. When local freelance photographer Lennart Wennberg (who attended the crash-scene the following morning) was asked in a later interview about the likelihood that black ice caused the accident, he said it was "out of the question" because the road was dry and the temperature around {{convert|2|C|F|order=flip}}, above the freezing point of {{convert|0|C|F|order=flip}}. This was confirmed by police who, like Hetfield, also found no ice on the road. Ljungby detective Arne Pettersson was reported in a local newspaper to have said the tracks at the accident site were exactly like ones seen when drivers fall asleep at the wheel. However, the driver stated under oath that he had slept during the day and was fully rested; his testimony was confirmed by the driver of a second tour bus that was carrying the band's crew and equipment.<ref name="JFA"/> The driver was determined not at fault for the accident and no charges were brought against him.<ref name="BTM">{{cite video |date=November 22, 1998 |title=Behind the Music: Metallica |medium=Television production }}</ref>

Burton's body was cremated and the ashes were scattered at the Maxwell Ranch.<ref name="minds">{{cite web |title=Cliff in Our Minds Biography |url=http://www.cliffinourminds.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20100305004038/http://www.cliffinourminds.com/ |archive-date=March 5, 2010 |access-date=December 9, 2007 |publisher=Cliff in Our Minds}}</ref> At the ceremony, the song "[[Orion (Metallica song)|Orion]]" was played. Shortly after Burton's death, [[Jason Newsted]] from [[Flotsam and Jetsam (band)|Flotsam and Jetsam]] became Metallica's new bassist.