14 DAY TRIAL // Tragedy struck during a dirt track race in Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park, when NASCAR star Tony Stewart hit and killed fellow racer Kevin Ward Jr. Video of the accident that ended the life of the 20-year-old has emerged online.
It reveals that Ward had gotten out of his car, which had spun and hit the wall, to yell at Stewart, whom he considered responsible for it. It was then that Stewart clipped him with his car and dragged his body on the track for a short distance.
USA Today informs that Ward was pronounced dead upon arrival to the hospital.
Ontario County (N.Y.) Sheriff Philip C. Povero says that Stewart isn’t facing criminal charges because there is no evidence of criminal intent. Moreover, eyewitness accounts say that Stewart’s car slid right before he clipped Ward, which could indicate that he was trying to avoid him.
In the video of the crash released, which you will find embedded below (*please note that caution is recommended because it contains graphic content), you can’t tell if that was really the case but this is probably because of the poor quality of the video and the angle from which it was shot.
However, you can tell that Ward was furious at having been made to crash and that he was determined to give Stewart a piece of his mind, even though the last thing he should have done was get out of his car to walk on the track.
“At this moment there are no facts or evidence that would support a criminal charge or criminal intent,” Sheriff Povero says.
“This is right now being investigated as an on-track crash, and I don’t want to infer that there are criminal charges pending. When the investigation is completed, we will sit down with the district attorney and review it. But I want to make it very clear: There are no criminal charges pending at this time,” Povero adds.
Stewart has also released a statement to express his regret and to announce that he would not be taking part in another, previously scheduled event.
“There aren’t words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident that took the life of Kevin Ward Jr. It’s a very emotional time for all involved, and it is the reason I’ve decided not to participate in today’s race at Watkins Glen. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and everyone affected by this tragedy,” he says.
Fans and other drivers are sending prayers to Ward’s family, advising all those who might feel the need to say anything negative on the tragedy on social media to hold off until the investigation concludes.