Tony Stewart Releases Statement After Death of Kevin Ward, Jr.
NASCAR driver Tony Stewart releases statement regarding death of Kevin Ward, Jr, Source: Amy Marbach/Flickr
NASCAR driver Tony Stewart has released his first statement in the wake of the death of Kevin Ward, Jr. in last night’s sprint car race in New York. There’s nothing too terribly revelatory in the statement; Stewart is rather plaintive and does not specifically address the role he played in Ward’s death or what the future holds for him after today.
Here is Stewart’s statement in full:
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.
While it’s far too early to speculate, the nature of the incident is one that could potentially result in, at the least, a civil suit from Ward’s family or, at most, criminal charges against Stewart. Stewart’s future as a NASCAR driver could also very well be in jeopardy, though they have yet to make any definitive statement regarding Stewart’s status for the remainder of the season and beyond.
#NASCAR has issued the following statement. pic.twitter.com/kPFQqZRXXz
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 10, 2014
Whether Stewart would even want to continue his racing career after killing Ward after he stepped out onto the track in last night’s race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park remains to be seen. Stay tuned throughout the day for the latest developments.
Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.