A grand jury in Ontario County, N.Y., will announce Wednesday afternoon whether the Nascar champion Tony Stewart will face criminal charges for the Aug. 9 crash that killed driver Kevin Ward Jr. The announcement is expected at 3 p.m. Eastern time.
The grand jury had been hearing testimony this week on the accident at Canandaigua Motorsports Park, where Stewart's racecar hit and killed Ward during a sprint car race.
Stewart, the three-time Nascar champion and popular driver who races open-wheeled sprint cars as a hobby, traveled to the small, dirt-track oval for an event the night before a Cup race at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 10. During the sprint car race, Stewart's racecar appeared to bump or cut off Ward's racecar as the two drove into a turn. Ward's car hit the outside wall and spun, bringing out a yellow caution flag that slowed the field.
Ward, 20, from Port Leyden, N.Y., who had been rookie of the year in the Empire Super Sprint series earlier in his career, exited his racecar and walked onto the track to confront Stewart. As Stewart drove past, his car appeared to fishtail and hit Ward, throwing him several feet. Ward was declared dead at a hospital shortly after the accident.
The Ontario County Sheriff's Office investigated the accident, and district attorney Michael Tantillo turned to a grand jury to determine if there was evidence to support criminal charges against Stewart.
Stewart, co-owner of the premier Stewart-Haas Racing team, went into seclusion after the accident, missing three Cup races before returning to the circuit at Atlanta on Aug. 31. He did not qualify for the 16-car field for the Chase for the Cup. Stewart finished 30th at the race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday.
Although Nascar was not associated with the sprint car race, its officials announced a rules change after the crash that requires drivers to remain in their racecars until safety workers arrive, unless they are at risk from fire or smoke.
It is not known yet if Stewart will face a civil suit in Ward's death.
Posted by Unknown on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
0 comments "Grand Jury Decision on Tony Stewart Expected Soon"
Post a Comment