Tony Stewart reportedly runs over fellow driver

Rovin Romine

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Deathofthebambino said:
Yeah, I don't think the original reports of him gunning the engine and the back end swinging out and clipping the kid are true.  I think the Stewart gunned the engine as he was going by the kid, and the kid either got too close or Tony got too close, and as he passed him, he got caught under the tire and dragged.  Not seeing the intent that was implied by all of the reports earlier though.
Excellent argument. The prosecution will say that Tony had every expectation in the world that Kevin would slow him down on the next pass, since it's part of the racing culture and since Tony had done the exact same thing in the past. However I n Tonys mind, he wanted to win that $3,000 prize so badly he decided to go hell for leather, regardless of the consequences. Even when the blue car in front of him *slowed down* in reaction to Kevin and his just wrecked car, Tony kept or increased his speed. Striking Kevin with that 2ton machine was 100% foreseeable in those particular circumstances.

Tony can't reasonably claim to have been surprised by track conditions since he had just skidded in the same area. (Unless he wants to argue he deliberately squeezed Kevin's car into the wall. Which makes Kevin's actions even more predictable.)

The only thing that remains is to figure out if the chance to win $3,000 gives one the ability to act in a way that's completely contemptuous of a 19 year olds right to live.

Ergo, manslaughter or murder 2.

(Also don't judge the lighting by what you see on camera. It may have been darker or lighter.)
 

Rovin Romine

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Greg29fan said:
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Driver Tony Stewart struck is dead. Stewart questioned and released. Was 'fully cooperative'. Investigation at this time not criminal.
Fwiw, that means little or nothing. Much will turn on how the DA feels about Tonys actions a week from now. If Kevin's actions were foreseeable or commonplace Tonys at risk of being charged. If he races tomorrow, I can't imagine it sitting well with Kevin's parents/ survivors.
 

rembrat

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Rovin Romine said:
Fwiw, that means little or nothing. Much will turn on how the DA feels about Tonys actions a week from now. If Kevin's actions were foreseeable or commonplace Tonys at risk of being charged. If he races tomorrow, I can't imagine it sitting well with Kevin's parents/ survivors.
 
I don't think it was foreseeable that Kevin Ward would jump into the racing line or at least the groove that Stewart was holding as he exited the turn. When guys get out of their cars to wait for whoever dumped them they stay towards the dirty part of the track (high bank of a track) where cars don't run and they certainly don't jump in front of a moving car.
 

Rovin Romine

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rembrat said:
I don't think it was foreseeable that Kevin Ward would jump into the racing line or at least the groove that Stewart was holding as he exited the turn. When guys get out of their cars to wait for whoever dumped them they stay towards the dirty part of the track (high bank of a track) where cars don't run and they certainly don't jump in front of a moving car.
You may well be right. I'm largely playing devils advocate. And on that score, did Tony know that Kevin wasn't hurt or injured or confused? I mean to suggest that Tony's either in the "I knew what was going on and tried to get past him to win" box, or he's in the " I had no clue but increased my speed to shoot around or between a slowing car and the car I had just crashed with a possibly injured driver in it" box. There are shades in there but he has to adopt one or the other in the statement he gave. Neither is great for him.

It's possible this was a gesture of poor sportsmanship by Kevin, but Tony can't take actions that are reasonably certain to injure or kill the kid.
 

Bigpupp

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It looked to me like Tony was having to swerve to miss the car in front of him, not knowing that Ward had stepped out of his car (or at least, didn't know he had gone that far down the track).

I could be wrong, but this seems a little bit like a young kid who watches Nascar drivers be hot heads and do stupid things (like yell at drivers as they drive by) on TV, and wanting to do the same thing. Only they're not doing it on a dirt track with low visibility.

At the least this should put an end to drivers getting out of their cars during a yellow.
 

rembrat

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The video has now been removed but I'm sure Ward's right rear was completely down. He was not driving his car back to pitroad under those conditions. So him jumping out of his car in that scenario is fine. What he did next should never ever happen again though.
 

ThePrideofShiner

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rembrat said:
The video has now been removed but I'm sure Ward's right rear was completely down. He was not driving his car back to pitroad under those conditions. So him jumping out of his car in that scenario is fine. What he did next should never ever happen again though.
 
Yeah, his back right tire was flat, and the tire looked busted up as well. I don't think it was driveable.
 

Spacemans Bong

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The reason Tony Stewart runs sprint car races is because it's what Tony Stewart really enjoys doing. NASCAR's dominance over the US racing scene means that guys have to race in that series to pay the bills and keep their sponsors onboard. Stewart's an extreme example of that, since he's been so good in NASCAR, but he's not that much different than the refugees from Indycar (which Stewart grew up a fan of and raced in) or sports cars.
 

Average Reds

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Rovin Romine said:
Fwiw, that means little or nothing. Much will turn on how the DA feels about Tonys actions a week from now. If Kevin's actions were foreseeable or commonplace Tonys at risk of being charged. If he races tomorrow, I can't imagine it sitting well with Kevin's parents/ survivors.
 
Absent compelling information that we have not seen/heard of, I cannot imagine that Tony Stewart will be charged in this case.  
 
Racing is a very dangerous sport/occupation and those who participate in it accept a certain degree of risk.  They also place a great deal of faith in the ability of other drivers/pit crew/track workers to do their job in an accepted manner and to be in the right place at the right time.  And if people are not where they are supposed to be and a tragedy happens as a result, the responsibility almost always lies with the person who is in the wrong place.
 
Regardless of what one thinks of Stewart, it defies credibility to think that he intentionally hit this kid. I don't know why he gunned his engine or whether he could have avoided the other driver.  But the fact is that he was where he was supposed to be and Kevin Ward was not.  And that fact should trump just about everything else.
 

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SemperFidelisSox said:
Going to be tough to prove intent if a manslaughter charge is the ultimate goal. Stewart will plead guilty to a lesser charge to avoid jail time, get suspended, lose a few sponsors, and be back in a year.
Sort of what Roger Cossack just said:  a driver walking on a race track, how could he not expect to be hit.
 
Didnt hear about this until I turned on the TV this AM.  The blurb on the ESPN crawl around 5 was so inflammatory/sensational, that I literally wiped the sleep out of my eyes because I thought I had read it incorrectly.
 

YTF

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I know ZERO about motor sports, please forgive my ignorance. My post is genuinely meant to try to understand how this happens. I understand that driving can get very aggressive at times with drivers being cut off, put into a wall, etc..........I understand that drivers sometimes get confrontational, before, during or after events and I also understand that Stewart is one of a few drivers whose name seems to be in the news for this thing more often most. The fact that he sped up under caution (not speculating intent here) with ANYONE walking the track seems irresponsible to me and getting out of your vehicle to be THAT person seems totally absurd. From my POV, stupidity on the part of both and Ward's dead because of it. How does Stewart (who has a reputation as a hot head) justify his actions and how does the racing industry respond? I have to imagine a message needs to be sent here. The sport is dangerous enough as is and with so much focus on cars and equipment in the name of safety, how can these actions NOT be addressed severely? The legal process will take whatever course it takes, but I'm curious to see how Nascar and ALL of racings governing bodies respond to and address this.
 

SocrManiac

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All I know about racing stems from amateur Autocross. I can't stand NASCAR or the surrounding culture, nor do I enjoy these dirt track events. Ergo, I'm completely ignorant on the rules.

That said, in the racing I've competed in, the absolute number one rule they drill into you incessantly is to never, ever leave your car after an accident unless it's on fire. You'll get suspended or banned from the track. This incident seems to highlight that as a sound policy.
 

Fred in Lynn

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It will be interesting to see what additional evidence appears. What has been revealed so far seems painfully weak for criminal prosecution.

If I had to guess, and I do, I'd say that Stewart gunned the engine to send a message (i.e., fuck you) and it got away from him. Good luck proving that to a threshold necessary for a criminal charge. Civil negligence? Perhaps.

Lots yet to be learned, I think.
 

thestardawg

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Stewart wasn't trying to win the race after the wreck.  They were under caution, which means no one can pass.
 
I think the most likely scenario is that the track is pretty dark according to all accounts.  Ward got out of the car and confronted Stewart, Stewart probably saw him late, and accelerated to get away from him. These cars are much different than sprint cars, and handle much differently.  If Stewart was in a sprint car on a sprint track, nothing happens to ward. 
 
I can't see any charges.  Ward put himself in that situation.  I'm sure there will be a civil lawsuit ohhhh next week. 
 

mascho

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But Stewart knows how dirt tracks handle.  If they veer to the right when you hit the gas (as I've been reading) Stewart knows that.
 
Criminally negligent homicide might be where this falls.  I'd have to read more on NY's application of that statute, but Stewart isn't a novice in this scenario.  
 
Or, ya know, a 17 year old kid.  
 

DukeSox

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He won't get charged with anything unless the local DA wants some media attention.
 

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ThePrideofShiner said:
I can't believe he is going to race tomorrow. That's messed up.
 
This times a fucking million.
 
Stop for deference to the kids family....never mind, that he will have been up all night with cops, tough time focusing, etc. Jesus.
 

lostjumper

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The video on the frontpage has been removed, but there's another one on reddit.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja7TlxpPb_8&feature=youtu.be
 
 
One a the redditors, a captainpatent, seems to have some pretty decent analysis of the situation. He also discusses the "gunning of the engine" some people have mentioned. I know very little about drit trak racing, but this makes sense to me.
 
 
I fail to see this video as any definitive proof that Tony Stewart was clearly at fault like I've already seen some people suggest in articles and on Youtube.
In fact, I'm at least somewhat sure Tony Stewart did his best to avoid Ward given the footage.
Sprint cars race on dirt tracks with little friction. In fact, the entire process of turning involves hitting the accelerator to drift the back to push the correct course through the car's center around the track.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, if you brake, there is substantial skidding that happens which throws the car towards the outside of the turn.
Also note that Kevin Ward likely chose a path approaching, and around the 45 car that likely caused Ward to only become visible to Stewart at the very last second when the 45 car passed. In fact, the time between Ward being to the side of the 45 car and potentially in Stewart's field of view and the time that Stewart hits is less than 2 seconds.
Also, if you notice from the video, Stewart's car is in a slightly wider path around the turn and is in an out-to-in wobble before striking Ward.
What it looks like happened to me is Stewart saw Ward around the 45 car with almost no room, freaked out, slammed the brake, realized he was going to skid towards the outside where Ward was standing & cranked the wheel which gave the sprint car the out-to-in skid. Then the tire striking Ward caused the car to skid in-to-out which caused the rest of the wobble.
With just a couple frames of Stewart's car in the video before the accident, I'd hardly call this definitive, but the movement of the car right before the hit suggests he was trying to avoid Ward.
Also, I've noticed people say "you can hear Stewart gun it" on the video. I'd like to point out that this accident occurred across the track from where the video was taken. What you are hearing is sprint cars pass on the near side. It's almost impossible to hear engine noise from the far side of the track.
I feel like I may be fighting imaginary or impossible foes as most of this is in response to youtube comments... which is never a good thing to argue, but I thought the above needed to be said.
Kevin Ward should never have run out on an active track... it doesn't matter if a caution is out. Driving footage from more angles should be looked at to make sure Tony Stewart had no intent, but knowing how racecar drivers are, I don't think they'd ever want to risk a dent to their machine under any circumstance. Because of all of this, I sincerely doubt that Tony Stewart had ill intent... At least with respect to using his car.
 

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I know next to nothing about racing.  I don't watch any types of it.  I just saw the video (Sportscenter just played it..).
 
WTF is the dude doing getting out of his car and going out of his way to get in front the other cars!?!?  Is that normal
 

Leon Trotsky

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Watching the video it looks like the kid is 100% at fault. Looked to me like Stewart tried to swerve out of way at last second after seeing him. Stupid accident.
 

Fred in Lynn

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After watching the Zapruder film many times since I first posted this morning, my semi-novice eye believes Stewart was on a slightly high line under caution and didn't see him early enough. The swerving by his car seems to be an attempt to avoid him. He slows, doesn't accelerate when in the vicinity of the other driver. The acceleration noise in the video isn't Stewart's car.
 

johnmd20

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I watched the video up until the point he got out of the car. Then I stopped. I don't want to see it. That said, the fact that Ward got out of his car on a track where cars were driving on is beyond dangerous, as other people noted. This whole things sucks, pretty much a waste, but Ward went to play in traffic and got run over.
 

NortheasternPJ

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If they let him race I hope he wins to make it the worst case scenario for nascar. NASCAR and Stewart should both know better than having him race today.
 

garlan5

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the last video from reddit is not near enough visual proof for anyone to conclude that Tony Stewart is at fault.  I'm not a NASCAR follower anymore and wasn't a fan of Stewart.  I watched the sport up until a four or five years ago.  Stewart was a hot head in years past but had calmed down a bunch before I had stopped watching.  Not to say he prob hasn't had him moments but there isn't anyone in the sport in my 30+ years of watching that would have mowed another driver over intentionally.  I see no reason for people to bash him for driving today.  I would also have zero problem if he didn't drive today either. 
 
edit: also the kid jumped at the car prior and nearly got hit by that car.
 

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garlan5 said:
the last video from reddit is not near enough visual proof for anyone to conclude that Tony Stewart is at fault.  I'm not a NASCAR follower anymore and wasn't a fan of Stewart.  I watched the sport up until a four or five years ago.  Stewart was a hot head in years past but had calmed down a bunch before I had stopped watching.  Not to say he prob hasn't had him moments but there isn't anyone in the sport in my 30+ years of watching that would have mowed another driver over intentionally.  I see no reason for people to bash him for driving today.  I would also have zero problem if he didn't drive today either. 
 
edit: also the kid jumped at the car prior and nearly got hit by that car.
My initial view and gut tells me this was a tragic accident and Stewart didn't see the kid until the last second after the blue car passed the kid.

However, I would be shocked if Stewart races today. I don't know how he could be in a proper state of mind after killing someone and getting little sleep to still think it safe to drive a vehicle at 200 mph. Even if Stewart were the type to still be able to mentally block all of that out, he still shouldn't be driving in respect to Ward's family as it would appear that the accident was such an insignificant event that Tony believes he can still perform as normal.
 

Jnai

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The initial reports made it seem like everyone was stopped or barely moving, the kid got out of his car to yell at Stewart, and Stewart slammed on the gas and hit him.
 
The video (which is kind of NSFL) makes it look like the kid jumped into a dark field of moving cars with shitty control and more or less got right in front of Stewart's car.
 

garlan5

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Bongorific said:
My initial view and gut tells me this was a tragic accident and Stewart didn't see the kid until the last second after the blue car passed the kid.

However, I would be shocked if Stewart races today. I don't know how he could be in a proper state of mind after killing someone and getting little sleep to still think it safe to drive a vehicle at 200 mph. Even if Stewart were the type to still be able to mentally block all of that out, he still shouldn't be driving in respect to Ward's family as it would appear that the accident was such an insignificant event that Tony believes he can still perform as normal.
 
thats an understandable point and I concur.  But he does have sponsors and a job to do even though I get your point and agree.  I just dont think he should be bashed for racing today.  
 

DJnVa

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Deadspin is reporting the kid is 20 years old, not 17, for some reason.
 
And I'm not a NASCAR guy but I've seen enough to see guys out on the track a number of times.
 

Comfortably Lomb

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Jnai said:
The initial reports made it seem like everyone was stopped or barely moving, the kid got out of his car to yell at Stewart, and Stewart slammed on the gas and hit him.
 
The video (which is kind of NSFL) makes it look like the kid jumped into a dark field of moving cars with shitty control and more or less got right in front of Stewart's car.
 
Yea, it looks like the kid basically jumped in front of Stewart's car. Maybe he expected Stewart to stop so they could scream at each other on the track but it didn't work out that way. The "reving" and whatever the kid's friend said about the car bucking when accelerating sounds like a lot of BS to me.
 

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Deathofthebambino said:
I'll say it again though.  WTF is Tony Stewart (or any of these other NASCAR guys that do it) doing moonlighting at 12:30 a.m. at a dirt track the day before one of the final races of the NASCAR season.  I just don't get it.
He just loves racing. I do "cheap" endurance racing (nominally $500 cars, though it's typically more like $5000 to $10000 to put one together), and he's run a 24-hour race in the same series.
 

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I feel like other drivers and people that are really familiar with racing can get a pretty good fix on what they saw and Stewart's probable intent - even if you can't prove it in a court of law.  You can imagine similar circumstances surrounding a pitcher hitting a batter in the head and killing him.
 
 
 
Drivers running out on to live tracks and trying to kick/throw their helmet, or otherwise show their displeasure has to stop immediately.  Settle it in the bar, after the race.
 

mauidano

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So Stewart did the right thing and pulled out of the race today at Watkins Glen.   I've watched the video on Deadspin a few times.  The kid put himself in harms way and bears a fair amount of negligence.  Stewart will skate on this.  I find it just a little too coincidental that HE was the one to hit the kid. Tony is one of the best drivers in the world. Dirt track sprint is his true passion. He knew exactly what he was doing and meant to scare the kid by coming close.  Stewart is not one to avoid confrontation. It will be impossible though to make any criminal charges stick.  He's getting away with vehicular manslaughter. He's gonna take a huge PR hit, maybe a civil suit but that's it.
 

DukeSox

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mauidano said:
So Stewart did the right thing and pulled out of the race today at Watkins Glen.   I've watched the video on Deadspin a few times.  The kid put himself in harms way and bears a fair amount of negligence.  Stewart will skate on this.  I find it just a little too coincidental that HE was the one to hit the kid. Tony is one of the best drivers in the world. Dirt track sprint is his true passion. He knew exactly what he was doing and meant to scare the kid by coming close.  Stewart is not one to avoid confrontation. It will be impossible though to make any criminal charges stick.  He's getting away with vehicular manslaughter. He's gonna take a huge PR hit, maybe a civil suit but that's it.
I don't think so