UPDATE 12:10 PM EST
Tony Stewart has revealed that he will not be racing later today after the tragic death of Kevin Ward Jr.
Gossip Cop reports:
A team director for Stewart, a 3-time NASCAR champion, now says he will not race at Watkins Glen International as planned, despite originally saying it would be “business as usual.”
NASCAR also confirms Stewart will not be participating in today’s Sprint Cup Series event. Ontario County Police Department also told the press:
“This is right now being investigated as an on-track crash and I don’t want to infer that there are criminal charges pending.”
Our prayers go out to the family of Kevin Ward Jr.
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Horrifying footage has surfaced on the web, as the world deals with the sudden death of 20-year-old race car driver Kevin Ward Jr.
During a dirt race car event on the evening of August 9th in Canandaigua, N.Y, Ward was hit by Tony Stewart‘s car and as a result, spun out of control. After being hit, Ward decided to walk out of the car and run towards Tony’s as he made another lap around the track. Moments later, as you can see in the disturbing footage below, Tony’s car hits Kevin and he is dragged for several yards.
According to the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, Kevin was pronounced dead 45 minutes after the accident happened. Mike Arning, a representative for Tony Stewart’s racing team Stewart-Haas Racing, has released a statement regarding the tragic accident:
A tragic accident took place last night during a sprint car race in which Tony Stewart was participating. Tony was unhurt, but a fellow competitor lost his life. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. We’re still attempting to sort through all the details and we appreciate your understanding during this difficult time.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kevin Ward Jr.’s family during this difficult time.
SOURCE: Just Jared, Gossip Cop | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
