Nascar driver Tony Stewart will not face charges in death of Kevin Ward Jr

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/sep/24/tony-stewart-no-charges-death-kevin-ward

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A grand jury declined to charge Nascar driver Tony Stewart in the death of fellow Sprint car racer Kevin Ward Jr, who Stewart hit and killed with his car during a race in August.

Stewart struck Ward during a race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in upstate New York as Ward crossed the race track to confront Stewart, following a crash between the two that knocked Ward out of the race.

Stewart faced charges of second degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. The jurors deliberated for “the better part of two days”, Ontario County district attorney Michael Tantillo said in a press conference on Wednesday. To indict a defendant on those charges in New York, 12 of 23 grand jurors are required to vote in favor of an indictment.

Jurors heard from approximately two dozen witnesses, including race car drivers, racetrack employees, volunteers, accident reconstruction experts, medical personnel and police officers. Tantillo declined to say how many jurors voted in favor of indictment, if any, citing the secrecy of grand jury proceedings.

Stewart, a 43-year-old three-time winner of Nascar’s Sprint Series Cup, missed three races after Ward’s death, but returned to the track at Atlanta Motor Speedway three weeks after the accident.

“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,” Stewart said the day after Ward died.

Stewart was scheduled to race less than 24 hours after the crash, but canceled following criticism on social media.

Following the accident, Nascar changed its rules to ban drivers and crews from crossing the track and approaching vehicles during a race. Confronting other drivers during a race was once a common practice, and Stewart himself had done it, throwing his helmet at another driver’s windshield.