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DISCRETION ADVISED - NASCAR driver Tony Stewart Hits Kevin Ward, Jr., in Sprint Car Race
- Thread starter Tripster
- Start date
TheCraftyBuckeye
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This is all over the news and people's reactions are really intense. Some people are saying he did it on purpose. That he swerved to hit him. They say that he is a hothead kind of person to begin with. Now I don't watch racing so I can't comment about that. I just think it was a horrible accident brought on by someone who decided to walk on a track, at night, in a black suit, with fast moving vehicles. That would be like getting out of your car and walking across a freeway.
Yeah I am in a few discussions about this already. My observation after watching the video several times is Stewart appeared to gun the engine just as he was coming up on Ward. This may have caused the ass end to break loose and hit him. It does look like he swerved to avoid him when he knew he was gonna hit him. But one big thing is that little hothead should have never got out of his car and been in the middle of the track with cars still moving. Tragic situation all the way around.
Tripster
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Either way, he should've stayed in his vehicle till the drivers saw the caution flag and slowed down and or the crew arrived to help him. I never watch racing so I have no clue who these people are.
Damn, ya beat me to it...just turned on news and WOW.
BTW, the kid died of his injuries. So far, Tony's scheduled to race today's NSCS race. Seeing as it was not a NASCAR event it occurred at.
Link: http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-me...nt-car-incident-canandaigua-driver-death.html
Really sucks for everyone though. Damn.
BTW, the kid died of his injuries. So far, Tony's scheduled to race today's NSCS race. Seeing as it was not a NASCAR event it occurred at.
Link: http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-me...nt-car-incident-canandaigua-driver-death.html
Really sucks for everyone though. Damn.
olderthandirt
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Sad to see Ward died of injuries but what the hell could he have been thinking walking out onto the track like that?
Update: Stewart will not be racing today at Watkin's Glen. A crappy, but sound choice if ya ask me.
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-me...ce-watkins-glen-regan-smith-cheez-it-355.html
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-me...ce-watkins-glen-regan-smith-cheez-it-355.html
GargoyleK1
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Well that was a stupid move to walk out on the track like a total moron, finger pointing and crying like a little kid… Stupid….
Tony hitting him I can only hope was not intentional.. Only he knows for sure what he was thinking and now that Ward died it will be with him for the rest of his life.
Its sad all the way around and I really wished it would have worked out differently.. Condolences to the Ward family for their loss...
Tony hitting him I can only hope was not intentional.. Only he knows for sure what he was thinking and now that Ward died it will be with him for the rest of his life.
Its sad all the way around and I really wished it would have worked out differently.. Condolences to the Ward family for their loss...
It should be common sense knowledge that you, as a driver, NEVER get out of your car let alone walk into the driving line under green flag. I'm not saying Kevin is completely wrong here, but come on. As in any other American race; tempers fly, words get exchanged, sometimes punches get thrown. I'm sure Tony would never intentionally steer towards someone on foot. I watch very little Nascar, but have seen enough to get the jist of driver reactions. I've seen some of Tony's reactions in the past, yes he's a bit of a hothead & not afraid of expressing himself. I'm sure that if he was doing anything intentional, that it was purposely driving close by to prove a point to Kevin. However, this is dirt track racing; everyone drifts through the turns to maintain exit speed. Once you start that slide, directional stability isn't as precise & the car takes a second to respond.
Unfortunately, as with many other things in life, it takes something like this to dictate a change. I'm sure some sort of change will be coming when it comes to yellow flags, as in instant track wide yellow when a car spins out and / or debris on track. I also think that red flags should be used every time a car stops on track.
My condolences to Kevin's family & friends. I also wish Tony the best of luck in dealing with this.
Side note: sorry if all this seems jumbled. I'm typing as I think it & also hadn't seen the video until this thread.
Unfortunately, as with many other things in life, it takes something like this to dictate a change. I'm sure some sort of change will be coming when it comes to yellow flags, as in instant track wide yellow when a car spins out and / or debris on track. I also think that red flags should be used every time a car stops on track.
My condolences to Kevin's family & friends. I also wish Tony the best of luck in dealing with this.
Side note: sorry if all this seems jumbled. I'm typing as I think it & also hadn't seen the video until this thread.
Sad to hear about this Ward kid but damn, seems like a stupid move to do what he did. Even with my limited racing knowledge I'm aware that Stewart is generally known to be a bit of an asshat, but I couldn't imagine him hitting a pedestrian on purpose...
Celtic Fog
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in slow motion he turns his wheels into him after accelerating...that there my friends, is murder in the second degree....he is looking at 12 to 25 if the DA decides it was a chargeable offence. Does not matter if he stayed in the car now....what matters, is that he turned his wheels towards him.
wow...
Is it customary to get out of your vehicle on a racetrack like that?
No excuse to hit the guy though...I also thought you do everything you can to avoid stuff like that, was the yellow flag out or not?
Either way...someone is going to have some explaining to do..daggum
Is it customary to get out of your vehicle on a racetrack like that?
No excuse to hit the guy though...I also thought you do everything you can to avoid stuff like that, was the yellow flag out or not?
Either way...someone is going to have some explaining to do..daggum
Celtic Fog
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you need to stay in the car unless you think the car is on fire or you see smoke, otherwise you are supposed to stay in the car until the track team reaches you. He got out and was pointing in accusation to the person who hit him to begin with...then the guy ran him over...murder 2 and possible special circumstances....
sux...not good for the sport is all I can say
Making people smack the wall is part of the sport...if you can't handle the "bumps" don't play the game
Just messed up all around...what a mess
Slow motion shot
Looks like he was in his slide turn...not sure if a prosecutor can show intent...either way...daggum
If he isn't convicted, guarantee there is a new rule, drivers will NOT exit the vehicle unless there is a vehicle fire
Making people smack the wall is part of the sport...if you can't handle the "bumps" don't play the game
Just messed up all around...what a mess
Slow motion shot
Looks like he was in his slide turn...not sure if a prosecutor can show intent...either way...daggum
If he isn't convicted, guarantee there is a new rule, drivers will NOT exit the vehicle unless there is a vehicle fire
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Celtic Fog
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you can clearly see his car change direction the moment before he came into contact....i can bet you a buck his ass will be facing charges.
Celtic Fog
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yeah that son of a bitch threw his back end into him on purpose
Don't know enough about the sport...but do know that the guy if he isn't put in jail and continues to race will probably never finish a race again...EVERYONE will be gunning to put the guy into the wall
GargoyleK1
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Um…. Physics say otherwise.. Its a banked track.. Turning into him and hitting the gas would cause the rear end to move AWAY from the pedestrian. The rear wheel hit him not the front.. Also you can see the guy step in the cars direction at the last second.
I believe it can be argued either way.
GargoyleK1
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Also sprint cars have the rear axle shifted to the right of the car.. So the right rear wheel sticks out further on the right side then it does on the left.. Really hard to make those cars turn left with that kind of set up under speed..
Point blank… shouldn't have tried to fight a car.
Point blank… shouldn't have tried to fight a car.
GargoyleK1
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Also… not saying it wasn't intentional… Just saying...
Celtic Fog
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lets see if the DA feels the same way you do Gargoyle, good luck to him, and my condolences to the family.
agreed
GargoyleK1
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Well…. I'm just saying there is reasonable doubt.. The way races run in these parts its pretty common place actions on both their parts. This one was just a very sad end result..
Nothing will come of it… Perhaps some rule changes but it is highly doubtful any criminal charges will come of it.
Nothing will come of it… Perhaps some rule changes but it is highly doubtful any criminal charges will come of it.
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My take ... for what it's worth ...
In dirt track racing it's called a dirt bath ... rev the engine as you get to the person and pelt him with dirt. For whatever reason, Stewart lost control and hit the guy. The young man had no business walking on the track to 'confront' Stewart and Stewart had no business attempting to pelt the young man with dirt. But this is the mindset of racers and this time the ultimate payback was rendered. Unintentionally, but still ...
In dirt track racing it's called a dirt bath ... rev the engine as you get to the person and pelt him with dirt. For whatever reason, Stewart lost control and hit the guy. The young man had no business walking on the track to 'confront' Stewart and Stewart had no business attempting to pelt the young man with dirt. But this is the mindset of racers and this time the ultimate payback was rendered. Unintentionally, but still ...
agreed getting out of any car race car or not and going into the middle of the track is insane.. That used to happen alot in NASCAR in the early 90's and before put Nascar but an end to it... so sad
First & foremost, I am not defending either person (racing or forum), nor am I trying to start a flame war by going against what someone else here thinks. I love practically all things cars, including racing. I follow F1. I take my gran turismo gaming seriously. I live in Alaska, and comfortably drive around in our winters while having a little bit of fun. I understand the racing/driving line & necessary steering inputs required to maintain that line.
As far as "turning the wheels towards Kevin": As I mentioned earlier, dirt track racing turns are basically a controlled slide, usually side by side with a competitor, which is how initial contact occurred. In a left turn slide / drift, if you keep turning the wheels left, the vehicle WILL rotate around on you counter clockwise. If you turn the wheels right during that left turn slide, you can keep the vehicle sliding through that left turn while maintaining your intended directional stability. If the vehicle starts to rotate around on you too far, you turn the wheels in the opposite direction for a second to counter act that movement & regain stability (more commonly known as "counter steering"). If the vehicle rotates too far & some sort of impact is imminent which requires immediate over compensation to avoid that impact, you will aggressively / quickly turn the wheels in the opposite direction (in this case, to the right). Doing this in a turn will cause the vehicle to quickly want to turn the other way... Which is where my main point comes in. In the fatal turn, Kevin was walking down the bank of the track towards the main racing line. As Tony approached, Kevin was practically right next to the car; which is sliding through that left turn. Tony sees this & quickly turns right attempting to get his vehicle to straighten out from that left turn slide, or (possibly) cause a snap clockwise rotation to avoid impact.
Again, not defending anyone. Just my observations. I'm sure anyone who lives in a real winter place with snow & ice will understand.
EDIT: getting a bit ahead of myself here. This is just my take on the whole matter. I have not heard any opinion or statement other than "DA seeking crash investigation".
As far as "turning the wheels towards Kevin": As I mentioned earlier, dirt track racing turns are basically a controlled slide, usually side by side with a competitor, which is how initial contact occurred. In a left turn slide / drift, if you keep turning the wheels left, the vehicle WILL rotate around on you counter clockwise. If you turn the wheels right during that left turn slide, you can keep the vehicle sliding through that left turn while maintaining your intended directional stability. If the vehicle starts to rotate around on you too far, you turn the wheels in the opposite direction for a second to counter act that movement & regain stability (more commonly known as "counter steering"). If the vehicle rotates too far & some sort of impact is imminent which requires immediate over compensation to avoid that impact, you will aggressively / quickly turn the wheels in the opposite direction (in this case, to the right). Doing this in a turn will cause the vehicle to quickly want to turn the other way... Which is where my main point comes in. In the fatal turn, Kevin was walking down the bank of the track towards the main racing line. As Tony approached, Kevin was practically right next to the car; which is sliding through that left turn. Tony sees this & quickly turns right attempting to get his vehicle to straighten out from that left turn slide, or (possibly) cause a snap clockwise rotation to avoid impact.
Again, not defending anyone. Just my observations. I'm sure anyone who lives in a real winter place with snow & ice will understand.
EDIT: getting a bit ahead of myself here. This is just my take on the whole matter. I have not heard any opinion or statement other than "DA seeking crash investigation".
Celtic Fog
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that is a definition from a criminal defence attorney....wonder why he let out a summary....
They are right, it was not a roadway...but here is a copy from a law book for everyone.
Second Degree Murder: Definition Second-degree murder is ordinarily defined as: 1) an intentional killing that is not premeditated or planned, nor committed in a reasonable "heat of passion"; or 2) a killing caused by dangerous conduct and the offender's obvious lack of concern for human life. Second-degree murder may best be viewed as the middle ground between first-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. - See more at: http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/second-degree-murder-overview.html#sthash.PmwJUPYh.dpuf
They are right, it was not a roadway...but here is a copy from a law book for everyone.
Second Degree Murder: Definition Second-degree murder is ordinarily defined as: 1) an intentional killing that is not premeditated or planned, nor committed in a reasonable "heat of passion"; or 2) a killing caused by dangerous conduct and the offender's obvious lack of concern for human life. Second-degree murder may best be viewed as the middle ground between first-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. - See more at: http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/second-degree-murder-overview.html#sthash.PmwJUPYh.dpuf
Celtic Fog
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the local newspaper there reported the DA found no evidence of need to press charges...however, the DA does not tell that to news sources, and it can take up to two or more weeks before they decide to do anything.
Juice_Spiller
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I am an avid Nascar fan. But I have also been to dirt races. I was shocked when I woke up yesterday morning and starting seeing and hearing all of this news and watching the video. I have been to Tony Stewart's shop in Kannapolis, NC, and I have seen more than a handful of both Nascar races and dirt track races, and I have acquaintances that work for Nascar.
Tony is known to be a hot head, and have lost his temper more than a few times. Here is a video of him a couple of years ago throwing a helmet at the car of a driver that cut him off.
But,with that being said, I do not think in any way, shape or form, that Tony Stewart meant to hit him. That track has very limited lighting on the back stretch, and it was almost 11 pm at night. Also, the driver that was hit, was wearing a black fire suit, which made him almost impossible to see. Lastly, that track does not use spotters, so Tony had no way of knowing that a driver was out of his vehicle , walking toward the lane of traffic. If you watch the video closely, the car that was right in front of Tony came very close to hitting the guy also, and when you are in a winged sprint car like that, the visibility is very limited.
Tony is a very very savvy businessman. He owns one of the most prestigious and famous dirt tracks in the country (Eldora Speedway), and he is also Danica Patrick, Kevin Harvick, and Kurt Busch's boss. He is worth well over 100 million dollars, and I do not think he will risk all that by purposely running down a driver on a race track.
I feel awful for the kid's family that was killed.
Tony is known to be a hot head, and have lost his temper more than a few times. Here is a video of him a couple of years ago throwing a helmet at the car of a driver that cut him off.
Tony is a very very savvy businessman. He owns one of the most prestigious and famous dirt tracks in the country (Eldora Speedway), and he is also Danica Patrick, Kevin Harvick, and Kurt Busch's boss. He is worth well over 100 million dollars, and I do not think he will risk all that by purposely running down a driver on a race track.
I feel awful for the kid's family that was killed.
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Any racer knows, or should know that you do not walk around on a hot track. Under no circumstances. Period. That is something that is drilled into you prior to being granted a race license. End of debate.
He is going to say that he Excelerator and the ass end kick out cause he didn't want confrontation so that's why he sped up.
Nothing is going to happen to him if anything he will be suspended by NASCAR.
He will pay a fine get drivers points taken away and owners points taken away.
Celtic Fog
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i have to agree, the rich dont get punished in this country, its a private club.
GargoyleK1
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Yeup…. Thats pretty much it.. It happened far enough north that the investigators there should realize that.. ( the driving technique, etc..)
Also…. He was walking around on a hot track.. Thats like jailing someone for hitting a pedestrian on a public freeway that runs in front of your car. Just cause he's dead does't make him innocent of his actions prior to his death…
Celtic Fog
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one of my good friends did 6 years in prison for killing a man on the freeway who was broken down and walked to the side of his car....because he was on the phone he was found guilty. Just because you hit someone who shouldn't be on the road, does not mean you can't be found negligent. All depends on the mood of the DA and the amount of cash in your bank account. Besides, the real jury is the public, and the real sentencing comes from the public, the driver will forever be marked as negligent by many, and a killer by many as well.
GargoyleK1
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Just my 2 cents on this tragedy. Like Savage I do my racing online.It's a hell of lot cheaper and everybody has a beer when their done. If you invest enough money you can experience everything but the inertia. Everything he says is spot on. You can't change physics.
There were no spotters like in nascar = no communication to the driver.
Kevin Ward was coming off a 4 race losing streak. But he was posting the best speed trials times . He just had some bad luck. (blown motor, a lapped car gets in his way and he spins out) So I could see him being frustrated
Kevin had beat Tony a few times on various tracks so they had some history.
To give some perspective of what it's like:
Once in the car, the seating position is upright, similar to sitting in a dining chair. Braced back hard into the seat by the 5-point harness, the driver has limited movement. Vision is poor, the high bonnet of the car and the front wing, obscure sight of the front of the car and the driver is usually unable to see the front wheels. Rock screens are used to prevent rocks and other debris from entering the cockpit, also reducing vision. Wrap-around seats and neck restraint devices such the HANS system, mean that the driver has virtually no peripheral vision. To make vision even worse, Sprint Car driver’s use plastic strips called “Tear-Offs” or “Tearaways” on their helmet visors. The idea of the tear-offs is that when the driver’s visor is filled in with mud, the tear-off can be removed, leaving a clear view. For an A-Feature race a driver might need around 20 tear-offs.
http://www.world-sprintcar-guide.com/sprint-car-cockpit.html
These cars have 1 gear and on/off for ignition they have to be push started to get going. Pay attention to the visibility on the right side.
There were no spotters like in nascar = no communication to the driver.
Kevin Ward was coming off a 4 race losing streak. But he was posting the best speed trials times . He just had some bad luck. (blown motor, a lapped car gets in his way and he spins out) So I could see him being frustrated
Kevin had beat Tony a few times on various tracks so they had some history.
To give some perspective of what it's like:
Once in the car, the seating position is upright, similar to sitting in a dining chair. Braced back hard into the seat by the 5-point harness, the driver has limited movement. Vision is poor, the high bonnet of the car and the front wing, obscure sight of the front of the car and the driver is usually unable to see the front wheels. Rock screens are used to prevent rocks and other debris from entering the cockpit, also reducing vision. Wrap-around seats and neck restraint devices such the HANS system, mean that the driver has virtually no peripheral vision. To make vision even worse, Sprint Car driver’s use plastic strips called “Tear-Offs” or “Tearaways” on their helmet visors. The idea of the tear-offs is that when the driver’s visor is filled in with mud, the tear-off can be removed, leaving a clear view. For an A-Feature race a driver might need around 20 tear-offs.
http://www.world-sprintcar-guide.com/sprint-car-cockpit.html
These cars have 1 gear and on/off for ignition they have to be push started to get going. Pay attention to the visibility on the right side.
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Celtic Fog
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to each their own.
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NY state penal code throws out the vehicle & traffic law as it pertains to the events because V&T law only governs the roadways within the state. If it governed racing, everyone in racing would be in violation every time they got on the track.
NY state penal code also states that if the victim's behavior plays a significant role in the outcome, there's likely to be a no-fault judgement issued, or that the DA declines to press charges.
Ward signed a waiver before ever setting foot on the track. The waiver states those who participate may be injured or killed during the course of the events. In order to get his license to race (and yes they do have licensing) he also was made aware of the risks, and the rules. The rules state you are to remain with your vehicle until safety crews are on scene, the ONLY exception is if your vehicle is on fire, and then you are to exit in a safe manner and go to the nearest safety barrier - either inside or outside. As he was against the outside wall, the proper response on the part of the victim should have been to stay with his vehicle until safety crews arrived and the race was slowed to a safer speed. Once he made the decision to step foot out of his vehicle against the rules of the track, and the fact he not only exited his vehicle he walked into the path of the oncoming cars that had not yet been slowed to normal caution speed.
It is normal for cars on a track with any banking to have to accelerate slightly to maintain fuel pickup into the corners. Other drivers in the series have said this is a possible reason for Stewart's acceleration. Its also possible Stewart meant to scare Ward by flinging dirt in his face, the ONLY one who knows that is Stewart. Intent to fling dirt is one thing, intent to kill is another. The law is very specific and states that intent MUST be to kill or gravely wound - for most of the more serious charges. That said it is entirely within the realm of the law as it stands in NY state where the incident took place, for the DA to convene a grand jury and see if there's enough evidence to support bringing charges for a lesser crime such as reckless manslaughter. But the grand jury would need to consider the victim's actions as well as those of Stewart to know whether the evidence supports the charge to be brought to trial.
By adding Ward's own decisions to (1) exit his vehicle (2) walk into not-yet-caution speed traffic (3) continue stepping closer and closer to Stewart's car until the inevitable happened, the grand jury would have to look at "if the victim did not act in the way he did, would the incident have occurred?" In this case, most likely not. If you remove Ward's behavior the incident isn't an incident other than 'rubbin's racing'.
The question I see no one asking is "If this were any other driver in the world, other than a big name like Stewart, would anyone be paying any attention?" If the incident were between to small town dirt track drivers, who the majority of the world had never heard of, would you be having this discussion here? Would people be suggesting that the driver who struck the victim be sentenced to death - in a state that doesn't have the death penalty? Would we even be having these types of discussions if the initial report from the Sporting News (who was the first site to post the story), had phrased their article title differently? What if they'd phrased the story as "Local dirt track driver killed in on track incident," or "Local driver injured in on track incident, dies at hospital," or ANY other phrasing than the inflammatory headline they used "Young dirt driver struck and killed by Tony Stewart," because blood sells, and they didn't give who shits about the family of the deceased who may not have been at the track and not yet gotten word that Ward had died.
Is it a sad, tragic incident? Hell yes. But there were two adults who signed their waivers, and there were 2 adults who made decisions that night. One of them has to live with the outcome, the other lost his life, because of the decision he made to set foot out of his vehicle in an attempt to showboat.
My hope for it all - that there's an awareness that goes through the sport in general, that you're safer in the car, than you are out on the track. That if you exit your vehicle without safety crews there, and your car isn't on fire, that you should be fined, or should sit out a few weeks, to know what your actions could have cost you...like they did for Ward.
My heart goes out to the families of those involved and that those who feel like playing judge & jury or convicting Stewart without even a trial, are sure their closets are secure of all skeletons before talking.
NY state penal code also states that if the victim's behavior plays a significant role in the outcome, there's likely to be a no-fault judgement issued, or that the DA declines to press charges.
Ward signed a waiver before ever setting foot on the track. The waiver states those who participate may be injured or killed during the course of the events. In order to get his license to race (and yes they do have licensing) he also was made aware of the risks, and the rules. The rules state you are to remain with your vehicle until safety crews are on scene, the ONLY exception is if your vehicle is on fire, and then you are to exit in a safe manner and go to the nearest safety barrier - either inside or outside. As he was against the outside wall, the proper response on the part of the victim should have been to stay with his vehicle until safety crews arrived and the race was slowed to a safer speed. Once he made the decision to step foot out of his vehicle against the rules of the track, and the fact he not only exited his vehicle he walked into the path of the oncoming cars that had not yet been slowed to normal caution speed.
It is normal for cars on a track with any banking to have to accelerate slightly to maintain fuel pickup into the corners. Other drivers in the series have said this is a possible reason for Stewart's acceleration. Its also possible Stewart meant to scare Ward by flinging dirt in his face, the ONLY one who knows that is Stewart. Intent to fling dirt is one thing, intent to kill is another. The law is very specific and states that intent MUST be to kill or gravely wound - for most of the more serious charges. That said it is entirely within the realm of the law as it stands in NY state where the incident took place, for the DA to convene a grand jury and see if there's enough evidence to support bringing charges for a lesser crime such as reckless manslaughter. But the grand jury would need to consider the victim's actions as well as those of Stewart to know whether the evidence supports the charge to be brought to trial.
By adding Ward's own decisions to (1) exit his vehicle (2) walk into not-yet-caution speed traffic (3) continue stepping closer and closer to Stewart's car until the inevitable happened, the grand jury would have to look at "if the victim did not act in the way he did, would the incident have occurred?" In this case, most likely not. If you remove Ward's behavior the incident isn't an incident other than 'rubbin's racing'.
The question I see no one asking is "If this were any other driver in the world, other than a big name like Stewart, would anyone be paying any attention?" If the incident were between to small town dirt track drivers, who the majority of the world had never heard of, would you be having this discussion here? Would people be suggesting that the driver who struck the victim be sentenced to death - in a state that doesn't have the death penalty? Would we even be having these types of discussions if the initial report from the Sporting News (who was the first site to post the story), had phrased their article title differently? What if they'd phrased the story as "Local dirt track driver killed in on track incident," or "Local driver injured in on track incident, dies at hospital," or ANY other phrasing than the inflammatory headline they used "Young dirt driver struck and killed by Tony Stewart," because blood sells, and they didn't give who shits about the family of the deceased who may not have been at the track and not yet gotten word that Ward had died.
Is it a sad, tragic incident? Hell yes. But there were two adults who signed their waivers, and there were 2 adults who made decisions that night. One of them has to live with the outcome, the other lost his life, because of the decision he made to set foot out of his vehicle in an attempt to showboat.
My hope for it all - that there's an awareness that goes through the sport in general, that you're safer in the car, than you are out on the track. That if you exit your vehicle without safety crews there, and your car isn't on fire, that you should be fined, or should sit out a few weeks, to know what your actions could have cost you...like they did for Ward.
My heart goes out to the families of those involved and that those who feel like playing judge & jury or convicting Stewart without even a trial, are sure their closets are secure of all skeletons before talking.