The best news that can come out of this horrible situation I guess.
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Source: www.jayski.com
Grand jury hearing testimony in Tony Stewart case UPDATES: Ontario County District Attorney Michael Tantillo has convened a grand jury to determine whether charges should be brought against NASCAR driver Tony Stewart for his role in an on-track incident that caused the death of driver Kevin Ward Jr. Grand jury testimony began Tuesday in the case. Tantillo said on Sept. 16 that he would present evidence from the police investigation to a grand jury. Chuck Hebing, who was driving in the Aug. 9 race when Ward was killed at Canandaigua Motorsports Park, confirmed that he was called to testify about the accident but declined to discuss the matter further. Ward, 20, died after he was struck by the car of Tony Stewart during a Sprint car race. The incident took place moments after Stewart, a three-time NASCAR season-series champion, bumped Ward’s car and forced it to crash into the corner wall on Turn 2. It is not known how long it will take for the evidence to be presented to the grand jury, or for witnesses to provide testimony.(Rochester Democrat & Chronicle)
UPDATE: Tony Stewart grand jury decision will supposedly be announced today (Sept 24) at 3:00pm/et.(Jayski Twitter)
UPDATE2: Ontario County District Attorney Michael Tantillo will hold a press conference at 3:00pm/et today to reveal the findings of a grand jury investigation into whether charges should be brought against NASCAR driver Tony Stewart for his role in the on-track death of driver Kevin Ward Jr. In a press release, Tantillo said the grand jury’s determination would be made public this afternoon.(Rochester Democrat & Chronicle)
The press conference will be aired lived at whec.com and also on ESPN and FoxSports1 live at 3:00pm/et.
UPDATE3: Tony Stewart will NOT face criminal charges in the death of Kevin Ward Jr. … who was struck and killed by Stewart during a race last month … TMZ Sports has learned. TMZ learned … that a grand jury just decided not to charge Stewart.(TMZ)
UPDATE4: A grand jury has decided Tony Stewart will not face charges for his role in the on-track death of sprint car driver Kevin Ward Jr. Prosecutors in upstate New York made the announcement Wednesday, just hours after the grand jury finished hearing testimony in the case. Ontario County District Attorney Michael Tantillo also said Ward was under the influence of marijuana at the time of his death, according to toxicology reports. Tantillo looked at the evidence and could have brought charges or dropped the case himself, but said last week that the matter would be decided by the grand jury. Stewart could have been charged with second-degree manslaughter under New York law, experts said, if prosecutors believed he “recklessly caused the death of another person.” Negligent homicide also was another possibility.(ESPN)
AND “This week an Ontario County grand jury has been meeting to hear testimony and review evidence gathered in the Tony Stewart matter, relating to the death of Kevin Ward at the Canandaigua Motor Speedway on August 9, 2014. The grand jury has completed its investigation. During the course of the grand jury presentation, approximately two dozen witnesses testified. These included a number of race car drivers, racetrack employees and volunteers, two accident reconstruction experts, medical personnel, and a number of police officers. In addition, the grand jury reviewed a number of photographs and video recordings, as well as other documentary evidence. After listening to and questioning all of the witnesses, and reviewing all of the evidence, the grand jury has determined that there is no basis to charge Tony Stewart with any crimes; his case was “No-Billed” by the grand jury.” Michael Tantillo, Ontario County District Attorney (Ontario County website)
Stewart Statement: Following a thorough investigation and presentation of all the relevant evidence and witnesses to an Ontario County (N.Y.) grand jury, the grand jury has determined there is no basis for the filing of any criminal charges involving the tragic accident of Kevin Ward Jr. on Aug. 9 at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park. The following is a statement from Tony Stewart regarding the grand jury’s decision.
“This has been the toughest and most emotional experience of my life, and it will stay with me forever. I’m very grateful for all the support I’ve received and continue to receive. I respect everything the District Attorney and Sheriff’s Office did to thoroughly investigate this tragic accident. While the process was long and emotionally difficult, it allowed for all the facts of the accident to be identified and known. While much of the attention has been on me, it’s important to remember a young man lost his life. Kevin Ward Jr.’s family and friends will always be in my thoughts and prayers.”(SHR Facebook)(9-24-2014)
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Now Tony explains his side.
Source: Jayski.com
- Stewart says crash was ‘100 percent’ accident: There were days when NASCAR star Tony Stewart couldn’t get out of bed. It was a chore to take a shower, to leave his room. The television was on, he would stare at it, and have no idea what he was watching. He didn’t care about motor racing. He didn’t want to talk to anyone, let alone face his family, friends or other drivers. Stewart’s grief over the death of Kevin Ward Jr. was overwhelming, and he couldn’t find his way out of the fog. Stewart spent three weeks in seclusion at his Indiana home after the car he was driving struck and killed Ward at a dirt track in upstate New York on Aug. 9. He describes those weeks as the darkest of his life. “I know 100 percent in my heart and in my mind that I did not do anything wrong. This was 100 percent an accident,” Stewart told The Associated Press on Thursday in his first interview since a grand jury decided he would not be charged in Ward’s death. On the advice of legal counsel, Stewart would not describe what he remembers about the crash at Canandaigua Motorsports Park. Sitting on the couch of his North Carolina home, a sprint car race in Arkansas on mute on the television, Stewart said not being able to talk about what happened is extending his anguish. “It keeps me from moving forward. It just stays there, hanging over my head,” Stewart said. Ward and Stewart didn’t know each other, and Stewart doesn’t recall them ever talking. He laments that in the scrutiny that followed – some questioned if Stewart had tried to intimidate Ward for stepping on the track – that the loss of the 20-year-old driver and his promising career fell to the background. He said he can’t imagine how the Ward family is feeling. “I guess the end result is I don’t blame them for anything they say,” he said. He said he needed professional help to cope with the situation, and asking for assistance wasn’t easy. Stewart, 43, isn’t married, has no children, and keeps a tight inner circle. He’s a solitary figure of sorts, someone who broods and stews alone, and opening himself up for self-examination was a monumental task. “There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that I haven’t thought about it. And it will be like that all your life,” he said. “You are never going to forget about it. You are never going to not see it happen all over again. It’s going to be a part of me forever.”(see the full article at the Associated Press)(9-26-2014)