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| Nascar driver Tony Stewart hits and kills fellow sprint-car racer | Nascar driver Tony Stewart hits and kills fellow sprint-car racer |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The champion Nascar driver Tony Stewart struck and killed a fellow sprint car competitor in a horrific accident on Saturday night. | |
| Stewart’s vehicle smashed into a young rival, Kevin Ward, as he walked on the track after their cars had collided on a bend at the Canandaigua Motorsports Park, near Rochester in upstate New York. According to eyewitness accounts Ward, 20, was thrown up to 50ft by the impact. He was dead on arrival at the local hospital. | |
| Stewart, a 43-year-old three-time winner of Nascar’s premier event, the Sprint Cup Series, was unhurt. On Sunday afternoon, he released a statement which said: “There aren’t words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident that took the life of Kevin Ward Jr … My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and everyone affected by this tragedy.” | |
| The champion driver initially announced that he would compete in a Nascar race at Watkins Glen, also in New York, within 24 hours. This prompted complaints on social media; on Sunday morning his team, Stewart-Hass racing, released a statement saying he would not compete. | |
| Stewart’s own statement said: “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. ” | |
| Some spectators present at Canandaigua on Saturday night said Stewart appeared to aim for Ward, after the young driver strode across the track apparently to confront him over their crash. But the sheriff of Ontario County, Philip Povero, said the investigation into the incident was not criminal and that Stewart was “fully cooperative” and appeared to be “very upset” over what had happened. | |
| “He was visibly shaken by this accident,” Povero said. | “He was visibly shaken by this accident,” Povero said. |
| A graphic video, filmed by a spectator, was posted to YouTube. It was taken down soon afterwards, although it was again available online on Sunday afternoon. | |
| Stewart and Ward’s cars hit each other as they roared around a bend during the dirt-track race. Stewart was able to continue driving, while Ward’s vehicle was shunted to the side of the track. Spectators saw Ward climb, apparently unhurt, from his car and, as Stewart came around for the next lap, walk across the track. Witnesses said Stewart’s car appeared to go into a “fishtail” skid before hitting Ward. | Stewart and Ward’s cars hit each other as they roared around a bend during the dirt-track race. Stewart was able to continue driving, while Ward’s vehicle was shunted to the side of the track. Spectators saw Ward climb, apparently unhurt, from his car and, as Stewart came around for the next lap, walk across the track. Witnesses said Stewart’s car appeared to go into a “fishtail” skid before hitting Ward. |
| “They went into turn two and someone spun out and the guy, he got out of his car and then Tony Stewart came back around and he just fishtailed and just hit the guy. The guy rolled over on the ground,” one eyewitness told a local TV station, CBS 5. | “They went into turn two and someone spun out and the guy, he got out of his car and then Tony Stewart came back around and he just fishtailed and just hit the guy. The guy rolled over on the ground,” one eyewitness told a local TV station, CBS 5. |
| Stills from the posted YouTube video showed Ward in his helmet and fire-retardant suit striding across the track and pointing in the direction of other cars coming around the bend towards him. | Stills from the posted YouTube video showed Ward in his helmet and fire-retardant suit striding across the track and pointing in the direction of other cars coming around the bend towards him. |
| Sheriff Povero said Stewart’s car was behind another as Ward stepped across the track. “The first car swerved to avoid the driver,” he said. | Sheriff Povero said Stewart’s car was behind another as Ward stepped across the track. “The first car swerved to avoid the driver,” he said. |
| Another eyewitness said it appeared Ward was heading out to confront Stewart. “The next thing, I didn’t see [the other driver] anymore. It just seemed he was suddenly gone,” said spectator Michael Messerly. | Another eyewitness said it appeared Ward was heading out to confront Stewart. “The next thing, I didn’t see [the other driver] anymore. It just seemed he was suddenly gone,” said spectator Michael Messerly. |
| Povero said Stewart was questioned then released. A spokesman for Stewart-Haas called Ward’s death a tragic accident. | |
| “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. We’re still attempting to sort through the details,” said the spokesman. | “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. We’re still attempting to sort through the details,” said the spokesman. |
| Ward’s personal website said he began racing go-karts in 1998 when he was just 4 years old and he began driving sprint cars in 2010. Ward, from Port Leyden, New York, was Empire Super Spring rookie of the year in 2012. | Ward’s personal website said he began racing go-karts in 1998 when he was just 4 years old and he began driving sprint cars in 2010. Ward, from Port Leyden, New York, was Empire Super Spring rookie of the year in 2012. |
| Stewart was involved in another incident at the Canandaigua track in 2013, when he admitted he had triggered a 15-car crash in which driver Alysha Ruggles broke her back. | Stewart was involved in another incident at the Canandaigua track in 2013, when he admitted he had triggered a 15-car crash in which driver Alysha Ruggles broke her back. |
| Stewart suffered a compound fracture to his right leg in a race in Iowa last year. He did not return to racing until he began preparing in February for Nascar’s season-opening Daytona 500 race. | Stewart suffered a compound fracture to his right leg in a race in Iowa last year. He did not return to racing until he began preparing in February for Nascar’s season-opening Daytona 500 race. |
| The Stewart-Haas driving organisation features four drivers including the well-known female driver Danica Patrick, who is among the sport’s top 10 earners with income last year totalling $13.5m, according to Forbes. Nascar, (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), attracts almost six million television viewers for every major race. Fox and NBC paid a total of $8.2bn last year for a new 10-year deal to televise it. | The Stewart-Haas driving organisation features four drivers including the well-known female driver Danica Patrick, who is among the sport’s top 10 earners with income last year totalling $13.5m, according to Forbes. Nascar, (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), attracts almost six million television viewers for every major race. Fox and NBC paid a total of $8.2bn last year for a new 10-year deal to televise it. |
| The Stewart-Haas organisation is worth $148m in earnings and endorsements, according to Forbes. | The Stewart-Haas organisation is worth $148m in earnings and endorsements, according to Forbes. |