As you no doubt have heard, auto racer Tony Stewart struck and killed opposing racer Kevin Ward Jr. with his car last night. Ward was out of his vehicle and walking on the track at the time.
Here is a more detailed account of the incident, and here is the video of the tragic incident (warning, it is quite graphic).
The following is a statement attributed to Stewart regarding the fatal accident last night during the sprint car feature at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park. It was sent out by Mike Arning, Stewart’s online spokesperson at True Speed Communication.
“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.”
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports and Yahoo! He’s been a guest on news talk shows all across the world. He’s also a special contributor to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Banks has been featured in numerous media outlets including NFL.com, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Deadspin, ESPN, NBC, CBS, the History Channel and more. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)