Cliff's life was short but very significant; his death was sudden and shocking. He died at the age of 24 when Metallica's tour bus overturned on a remote Swedish mountain road in the early hours of September 27, 1986 for reasons still unknown: he was crushed to death after being thrown through his bedroom window beds The driver, whose name was never made public, told the remaining band members that the bus hit the ice, which led to a car accident: lead singer James Hetfield refused to believe him, and still openly expresses his doubts about this. Cliff's death ended the band's critically acclaimed period of activity. They continued to record albums that were released in huge numbers, but by their own admission, they never again pushed the boundaries of creativity as radically as they did with Burton. In 2006, a group of devoted Metallica fans opened a memorial to Cliff at the site of his death: Burton's cult is growing every year, and bass players of many musical styles (even outside heavy metal) recognize his influence on their work.