ISTANBUL 

Brent Hinds, co-founder of the Grammy-winning heavy metal band Mastodon, died at the age of 51, following injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in Atlanta.

"We are in a state of unfathomable sadness and grief,” the group said in a statement on the US social media platform Instagram on Thursday.

“We are heartbroken, shocked, and still trying to process the loss of this creative force with whom we’ve shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many," it added.

Hinds, who was the band's guitarist, had separated from Mastodon in March.

When contacted for a statement on Hinds’ death, a public information officer from the Atlanta Police Department referred to an initial report about the accident that had been published on the department’s website.

The statement reported a male rider on a Harley Davidson was hit by an SUV at the intersection of Memorial Dr. SE and Boulevard SE in Atlanta at 11:35 pm on Wednesday.

Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene, according to the department’s website.

The investigation is still ongoing, it said.

Hinds, whose full name was William Brent Hinds, died from “multiple blunt force injuries,” according to records released on the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s website on Thursday.

He co-founded Mastodon in 2000 with bassist Troy Sanders, guitarist Bill Kelliher, and drummer Brann Dailor.

Mastodon has won six Grammy nominations throughout their career, including a win for Best Metal Performance in 2018.

They are best known for their albums The Hunter, Once More ‘Round the Sun, and Emperor of Sand, along with the song, Blood and Thunder, which is the most listened to song on music platforms.

The band also made two cameo appearances on HBO’s Game of Thrones, playing wildlings in the episodes Hardhome and The Dragon and the Wolf.

While announcing Hinds’ departure from the band earlier this year, a statement on their Instagram page said that they were “deeply proud of and beyond grateful for the music and history we’ve shared,” wishing Hinds “nothing but success and happiness in his future endeavors.”