Joey Covington, the drummer of psych-rock band Jefferson Airplane and blues-rock band Hot Tuna, died in a car accident yesterday in Palm Springs, Calif.

Covington’s car crashed into a wall near a curve on the side of the road, reported a local CBS news station. The crash occurred at about 5 p.m. and shut down traffic for hours. Covington was declared dead at the scene. Covington was the only person in the car at the time. He was not wearing a seat belt when the car crashed. Police have not yet provided any details on the possible causes of the crash.

A self-taught drummer, Covington helped found Hot Tuna in 1969 with Jack Casady, Jorma Kaukonen and Paul Kantner. Kaukonen and Casady were impressed enough with Covington’s drumming to invite him to join Jefferson Airplane. He wrote and sang the band’s last hit, “Pretty as You Feel” from 1971’s Bark. Five years later, Covington co-wrote Jefferson Starship’s “With Your Love,” which hit No. 12 in the charts.

Covington was 67 years old.