Honey Boo Boo's Uncle Involved In Crash That Killed Other Driver

uncle billy thompson

Tragedy has struck the June family this month as Alana Thompson’s Uncle Billy Thompson has been involved in a crash that killed the driver of the other vehicle. The accident killed 86-year-old driver Joseph Finan on June 17. Thompson has been hospitalized in the aftermath and it looks as if it could be a long road to recovery.

In the time since, Uncle Billy Thompson has been in the hospital undergoing surgeries and skin grafts. Things seem to be moving forward, as recent reports indicate the Thompson family member had his feeding tube removed. He also suffered internal bleeding and multiple broken bones.

A Go Fund Me account set up in Billy name has not reached its goal yet, but reveals that Sugar Bear and Uncle Poodle have been at the hospital in Atlanta, GA since the crash and hospitalization occurred, although other reports state reality star Sugar Bear has been largely absent. Doctors also say it could be a year before Billy Thompson is “normal” following the crash.

An early report from the Union Recorder alleged alcohol was involved in the crash and that William Thompson “was under the influence of alcohol” at the time the accident occured. Follow-up reports from TMZ and other outlets have indicated Joseph Finan may have been driving on the wrong side of the road at the time the accident occurred.

Honey Boo Boo’s family have said Uncle Billy was not drunk and that it was Finan’s 2015 Ford F-150 that struck Thompson’s Toyota 4-Runner.

William Thompson is the brother of both Sugar Bear Thompson and Uncle Poodle. He wasn’t well-known on the show, but he did attend major family events, including Mama June and Sugar Bear’s wedding in May of 2013.

During its two-year history on TLC, the show was heavily parodied and became a cultural phenomenon. Eventually, it was cancelled after news broke that Honey Boo Boo’s mother, June Shannon, was allegedly dating a registered sex offender.

Following the end of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Billy Thompson made headlines after the family filed a missing persons report given he hadn't been in touch for several days. He later said that he was allegedly working on a job with a friend and had decided he wasn’t in the mood to return his family’s calls and texts.

Although star Alana Thompson has stayed in the limelight thanks to a stint on Dancing with the Stars and a gig on Mama June: From Not To Hot, she more recently had to leave the household after her mother Mama June was arrested by police for drug paraphanelia and crack cocaine possession. Alana Thompson has been living with her sister Pumpkin.

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Obviously, an accident and potential investigation would be likely to add more stress to this family, particularly given it seems that Uncle Billy has a long road to recovery ahead of him. We’ll keep you updated as more details are revealed.

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.