Driver turned TV analyst Clint Bowyer’s absence from the Fox Sport booth last week may now have an explanation.
The Lake Ozark Police Department in Missouri confirmed late Thursday night that Bowyer was involved in a motor vehicle crash that resulted in the death of a pedestrian. According to the incident report the accident occurred on Sunday evening June 5, just after 9:00 p.m. not long after the NASCAR race in St. Louis.
Bowyer was driving on U.S. highway 54 near Osage Beach, Missouri approaching Missouri 242 when he struck a woman walking on an entrance ramp.
According to police Bowyer immediately stopped and called 911. The female victim 47-year-old Mary Jane Simmons, of Camdenton, Missouri, was pronounced dead on the scene. Police said Bowyer’s vehicle sustained heavy damage and added that officer on scene said Bowyer showed no signs of impairment and a sample given by Bowyer via a portable breathalyzer showed .000 blood alcohol content.
Police said that among the woman’s belongings a crystalline substance, later determined to be methamphetamine was found. Police also believe the woman was under the influence at the time of the accident.
Bowyer, a Kansas native, had been part of the broadcast crew for NASCAR’s first Cup race at Gateway Raceway in St. Louis on June 5. He was absent from this past Sunday’s broadcast, the last of this season for Fox, who explained Bowyer’s absence as a “personal matter.”
Bowyer released a statement Thursday night:
“Anyone that knows me, knows that family is everything to me. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Ms. Simmons. This is a very difficult time for my family and I, please respect our privacy as we move forward.”
FOX Sports released its own statement:
“We are deeply saddened by the news of this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families.”
A member of the Lake Ozark Police, who was not authorized to speak on the record did confirm that while the crash is still under investigation, Bowyer is not expected to face any charges.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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