The second motorist slammed into Prince's driver's side door, knocking him unconscious. Because it happened in the Sprint Car series, it wasn't legally a "NASCAR death." However, Kevin Ward was fired by a NASCAR driver: Tony Stewart. Ward spun out around halfway through a Sprint Car race at the half-mile Canandaigua Motorsports Park. He hit a guardrail and was killed instantly.
Stewart had been arguing with another driver on the track before the accident. Police said there were no violations by either driver involved in the incident.
Ward was 34 years old. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery near President John F. Kennedy and other national heroes.
Stewart was issued a speeding ticket after the accident. He paid the $100 fine and didn't have his license suspended.
He continued racing after the incident but was eventually removed from the active roster of drivers due to excessive injuries to himself and others. He has not returned to racing.
Prince had been trying to win his third straight championship when he was killed. He was 33 years old.
Three weeks after the race, Stewart was arrested for assaulting a police officer during a routine traffic stop. He admitted drinking alcohol and using marijuana prior to the arrest. Police found drug paraphernalia in his car.
He received a conditional discharge for the assault charge and was required to complete an anger management program.
Tony Stewart collides with and kills a driver during a sprint car race. According to Ontario County (N.Y.) Sheriff Philip C. Povero, Kevin Ward Jr., a 20-year-old racing car driver, was murdered Saturday night after being struck on the track by NASCAR icon Tony Stewart. The accident occurred with five laps remaining in the dirt race, known as the World 100 Mile Desert Race. It was held at the all-weather Ontario (N.Y.) Speedway.
Kevin Ward Jr. was a resident of Owego, New York, and he is believed to have been the first winner of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series to be killed while practicing for an upcoming race. He is also the first driver killed during a sprint car race in North America. "It's a tragedy. We're all shocked and saddened by this," said Bill Wicksteed, president of Ontario County (N.Y.) Sheriff's Department. "But at the end of the day, these things happen on the tracks all the time. There's no reason for people to come out here expecting something bad to happen."
Ward had been racing for more than a year without incident and had just won his first race earlier this month. His family issued a statement saying they were thankful for all of the support they had received following his death. "We want to thank everyone for their prayers and thoughts during this difficult time," it read.
In 2015, the family of dead racer Kevin Ward Jr. filed a wrongful death civil claim against three-time NASCAR series champion Tony Stewart, alleging that Stewart purposefully raced dangerously near to Ward after he exited his sprint car. The lawsuit was never brought to court.
Stewart had gone on a similar trip the previous summer and was engaged in a multi-car collision at the circuit that put two drivers to the hospital. This time, Stewart's car collided with Kevin Ward Jr.'s car on Turn 2, driving the local racer into the wall.
In 2015, the family of dead racer Kevin Ward Jr. filed a wrongful death civil claim against three-time NASCAR series champion Tony Stewart, alleging that Stewart purposefully raced dangerously near to Ward after he exited his sprint car. The lawsuit was never brought to court.
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