It really was no surprise to many. Wednesday a grand jury in Ontario New York ruled that no charges would be filed against NASCAR champion Tony Stewart. According to several legal experts, based on the evidence from the accident, it would be hard for any jury to find that Stewart intentionally committed a crime.
Prior to Wednesday however many race fans and even some members of the media had found the three time champion guilty of willfully running down and killing young Kevin Ward Jr. The incident occurred on Saturday night August 9th during a sprint car race at Canandiagua Motorsports Park in upstate New York. Video showed that Ward had been involved in an incident exiting turn 2 with Stewart . Ward’s car came to rest on the back stretch. The 20 year old exited the vehicle, and still wearing his racing helmet walked toward the line of cars circling under caution. He angrily pointed towards the car driven by Stewart; Stewart’s car struck Ward who was thrown in the air and landed several feet away. Ward was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Stewart would miss the race at Watkins Glen the next day, and two more races before returning to the circuit at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Aug. 29. The Ontario County New York Sheriff’s office completed its investigation earlier this month and soon after the Ontario County District Attorney announced that the evidence would be presented to a grand jury for a final determination of what, if any, charges will be filed. MORE>>>
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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