On April 10, 1992, Kinison died after his white 1989 Pontiac Trans Am was struck head-on on a highway near Needles, Calif., by a pickup truck driven by a 17-year-old male who had been drinking alcohol.[10][11] The pickup truck crossed the center line of the roadway and went into Kinison’s lane.[12] At the time of the collision, Kinison was traveling to Nevada to perform at a sold-out show.