An investigation is underway after a driver named Kevin Ward was killed during a sprint race on a New York dirt track last night. Ward was entangled with fellow driver Tony Stewart as they turned a bend and after his car crashed into a wall, he got out of his damaged car and appeared to point to Ward in the middle of the track. Ward was then struck by Stewart's car according to witnesses.
Youtube footage of the crash emerged soon after and it is pretty difficult viewing. Ward was pronounced dead on arrival on hospital.
ESPN have tweeted the following updates:
UPDATE: Authorities say NASCAR's Tony Stewart struck and killed driver who was walking on dirt track during race.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 10, 2014
Sheriff says Tony Stewart "is very upset" and "has been fully cooperative." Stewart hasn't been charged but investigation is ongoing.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 10, 2014
Deadspin have this witness account from Tayler Graves:
"Tony pinched him into the frontstretch wall, a racing thing," Graves said. "The right rear tire went down, he spun on the exit of (Turn) 2. They threw the caution and everything was toned down. Kevin got out of his car. … He was throwing his arms up all over the place at Tony for most of the corner.
"I know Tony could see him. I know how you can see out of these cars. When Tony got close to him, he hit the throttle. When you hit a throttle on a sprint car, the car sets sideways. It set sideways, the right rear tire hit Kevin, Kevin was sucked underneath and was stuck under it for a second or two and then it threw him about 50 yards."
But Motorsport.com make the argument that there was no way Stewart could have seen Ward and while he approached him at the reduced speed under the caution flag, he tried to swerve to avoid him.
It appears Stewart saw him at the last second, and swerved, but still hit Ward hard enough to toss him like a rag doll at least 20 feet down the track. An autopsy is pending, but it seems likely Ward suffered a broken neck, though he still had his helmet and head restraint device on, but the device only works when you are strapped into your car. Stewart stopped about a hundred feet down the track. Emergency workers were there in second. Indeed, Stewart may have hit the gas, but you steer sprint cars with the throttle for more than the steering wheel. The idea that he accelerated trying to hit Ward is beyond the pale.
