Tony Stewart Spins Out then Runs Over Fellow Driver, Kills Him

[RJH999]

Tragedy. Tony Stewart runs over a guy after the guy got out of his car to protest Stewart running him into a wall. http://deadspin.com/reports-tony-stewart-ran-over-opposing-driver-during-1618893708 [QUOTE]Kevin Ward Jr., a 20-year-old race car driver, was killed Saturday night after he was struck on the track by NASCAR star Tony Stewart, according to Ontario County (N.Y.) Sheriff Philip C. Povero. During a sprint car race at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park, Ward was spun out by Stewart, got out of his car to show his displeasure and then was struck by Stewart's car, sending Ward sliding down the track, fellow sprint car racer Tyler Graves and witness Adam Dulski told USA TODAY Sports.[/QUOTE]

[iacas]

Most reports seem to indicate that it's not an accident. For it to be an accident it would have to be awfully coincidental that Stewart hit the guy.

But I also don't know why you'd get out of the car and wander around a muddy (right?) track with cars racing around.

P.S. I'm not going to watch the video.

[RJH999]

Most reports seem to indicate that it's not an accident. For it to be an accident it would have to be awfully coincidental that Stewart hit the guy. But I also don't know why you'd get out of the car and wander around a muddy (right?) track with cars racing around.

Yeah. Very stupid and rash thing to do. However, based on what I read, Stewart knew he was running him over. He was aware. He's a hothead and has had confrontations with other drivers...

[jamo]

Most reports seem to indicate that it's not an accident. For it to be an accident it would have to be awfully coincidental that Stewart hit the guy. But I also don't know why you'd get out of the car and wander around a muddy (right?) track with cars racing around.

Agreed on both points.

[kpaulhus]

He shouldn't be allowed to race again...and hats the least of his worries. Manslaughter would be more fitting.

[Golfingdad]

I have a hard time accepting the idea that a guy would do something like that on purpose.

[David in FL]

Sorry, I just don't see that. Watched the video a couple of times. Idiot stormed down the track looking for Stewart. Ran right into his path. Idiot. A shame, but that's nothing but death by stupidity. [quote name="Golfingdad" url="/t/76451/tony-stewart-spins-out-then-runs-over-fellow-driver-kills-him#post_1037987"]I have a hard time accepting the idea that a guy would do something like that on purpose.[/quote] Agree 100%.

[RJH999]

He hit the throttle...did you read the article. Witnesses said he clearly saw him. Of course, he shouldn't have gotten out of his car in the first place...

[billchao]

He hit the throttle...did you read the article. Witnesses said he clearly saw him. Of course, he shouldn't have gotten out of his car in the first place...

I'm sorry, but he's coming out of a turn, in a race, of course he is going to hit the throttle. Stewart's car did a little fish tailing, maybe he was trying to steer out of the way when he realized (probably pretty late) that the guy was coming into his path, but obviously traction was an issue. Really, at no point in a race should a driver have a reasonable expectation of: 1. Someone on foot in the middle of the track 2. Said person on foot approaching his vehicle It was an accident. A terrible accident that could have completely been avoided if the other racer just stayed in his car like he's supposed to do.

[RJH999]

I'm sorry, but he's coming out of a turn, in a race, of course he is going to hit the throttle. Stewart's car did a little fish tailing, maybe he was trying to steer out of the way when he realized (probably pretty late) that the guy was coming into his path, but obviously traction was an issue. Really, at no point in a race should a driver have a reasonable expectation of: 1. Someone on foot in the middle of the track 2. Said person on foot approaching his vehicle It was an accident. A terrible accident that could have completely been avoided if the other racer just stayed in his car like he's supposed to do.

I don't know SHIT about Nascar. Basing this on what the people who were there said. We'll see.

[iacas]

It was an accident. A terrible accident that could have completely been avoided if the other racer just stayed in his car like he's supposed to do.

I hope for his sake it was an accident, and while I'm happy to presume innocence, that doesn't mean I have to say it was an accident definitively.

[MS256]

Wow. Didn't see it. Don't care to see it. Can't imagine that a driver would intentionally kill another driver. It's not like there is the possibility that you could intentionally hit somebody on foot with a race car and not mean to kill them. Surely it was an accident?

[Aguirre]

I have a hard time accepting the idea that a guy would do something like that on purpose.

So do I.  It's a big step from hothead competitor to murder in front of thousands of witnesses.

The gearheads I heard from late last night pointed out a revving of the engine just before the hit, and that Stewart should have known that it would fishtail the car and cause him to hit Ward.  I don't know enough about racing, let alone this type of racing, to have a clue.  I did notice in the video that it was at night, and Ward was wearing a black driving suit on a dark, muddy track.  And that he also might have been standing in front of his black race car from Stewart's point of view.  Also, I heard that mud often gets on the windshields and further hurts vision for drivers.

I'll give you a seemingly more plausible scenario where Stewart could and should be held criminally liable.  If he was buzzing him.  He sends Wards car into the wall.  He comes around the track, sees the young punk challenging him, and he revs the engine to, I don't know, shoot dirt at him or say f*** you.  The rev causes his car to fishtail, the side of the car kills Ward.  If that's the case, some kind of negligent homicide charge would probably be warranted.

But I just don't think Stewart comes around the corner, sees him, and says to himself, "F*** this guy, I'm running him over."

[nick1998bunker]

I don't know anything about the sport, but from the video it looked like an accident, if I was the driver and I am going that fast in a turn and there is half a track because a car is in the way and all of a sudden you see a guy walking in front of you then I don't think I would be able to react successfully. And it didn't really look like he turned toward the guy.

[Aguirre]

I don't know anything about the sport, but from the video it looked like an accident, if I was the driver and I am going that fast in a turn and there is half a track because a car is in the way and all of a sudden you see a guy walking in front of you then I don't think I would be able to react successfully. And it didn't really look like he turned toward the guy.

I'm as ignorant as you on the subject, but it's not a "turn" the gearheads are talking about.  It's a fishtail.  If you watch video of dirt track racing (I've actually seen it in person), the cars actually go through turns diagonally, as opposed to straight as they do on asphalt or whatever hard surface they normally race on.  So often, on a mud track, an acceleration causes a fish tail of the car, which is what happened here.  Ward was apparently hit by the side of Stewart's car.  So what they are saying is that Stewart's revving of the engine caused his car to fishtail out of it's projected straight line path, causing Ward to be hit.

Here's an example of sprint cars racing on dirt:

[Jeremie Boop]

I'm as ignorant as you on the subject, but it's not a "turn" the gearheads are talking about.  It's a fishtail.  If you watch video of dirt track racing (I've actually seen it in person), the cars actually go through turns diagonally, as opposed to straight as they do on asphalt or whatever hard surface they normally race on.  So often, on a mud track, an acceleration causes a fish tail of the car, which is what happened here.  Ward was apparently hit by the side of Stewart's car.  So what they are saying is that Stewart's revving of the engine caused his car to fishtail out of it's projected straight line path, causing Ward to be hit.

Here's an example of sprint cars racing on dirt:

I'm inclined to believe this was an accident, there was another car right in front of stewart that swerved out of the way just before stewart reached the kid. Also, it's been pointed out that the revving wasn't necessarily from stewarts car. He was on the far side of the track from where the video was captured and the revving was from a car on that side of the track. Regardless it's a tragedy that someone so young lost his life.

[saevel25]

From the video, it looks like Tony had an obstructed view of the driver standing on the track. When the Blue car got past him, Tony tried to turn away from the other driver. His back tires slipped, and the rear end started to rotate counter clockwise. If on a muddy track a driver was to step on the brake and turn to the left to avoid, the rear of the car would turn counter clockwise. That revving noise was from the back tires loosing traction in the mud. You can see it happening just before the car strikes the other driver. Just my observation on it.

Its a tragic accident. The other driver should NEVER step out onto the track like that.

[Jeremie Boop]

Quick update on the story.

Sheriff says no criminal charges will be filed against Tony Stewart | FOX Sports