Tony Stewart: No Criminal Charges for Death of Kevin Ward Jr.

NASCAR star Tony Stewart will not be facing criminal charges in the death of Sprint car racer Kevin Ward Jr.

“At this moment there are no facts or evidence that would support a criminal charge or criminal intent,” Sheriff Phillip C. Povero said in a news conference on Sunday afternoon (August 10).

“This is right now being investigated as an on-track crash, and I don’t want to infer that there are criminal charges pending,” Povero added. “When the investigation is completed, we will sit down with the district attorney and review it. But I want to make it very clear: There are no criminal charges pending at this time.”

Here is the statement that Tony released following the tragedy: “There aren’t words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident that took the life of Kevin Ward Jr. It’s a very emotional time for all involved, and it is the reason I’ve decided not to participate in today’s race at Watkins Glen. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and everyone affected by this tragedy.”