I watched that video, several times. I used to watch NASCAR; not by choice per se please understand but because of the person to whom I used to be married to and yes, Tony Stewart was my “favorite” driver if only because I really hated Jeff Gordon and Rusty Wallace - LOL, and although I’m no expert and certainly no expert in open wheel dirt track carts, I have a question that perhaps someone here more knowledgeable can answer.
I’ve seen people speculating that Stewart revved his engine and that he purposely steered into Ward, but the way it looks to me from the video, Ward walked straight into the SIDE of Stewart’s car AFTER the front end of Stewart’s car had already PASSED Ward, Ward perhaps trying to kick the side of Stewart’s car as it passed him.
It appears to me that Stewart’s car didn’t make a lurch until AFTER Ward had fallen under the rear wheels and the sound of Stewart’s car seemingly revving was because the rear wheels briefly coming off the track as they ran over Ward, causing the engine to rev because the rear drive wheels were briefly airborne, not in full contact with the track.
And as I understand, these dirt carts are steered much by acceleration and deceleration as they are by the steering wheel and operate much like a car on slick ice (you drive in the opposite direction of where you want to go while sliding) and that even if Stewart saw him (which I’m not convinced he did) he would have steered the cart up the track in order for the rear end of the cart to slide down, perhaps in hopes of not hitting him (Ward).
I could be off track (no pun intended or perhaps pun intended) and I know Stewart is a “hot head” but then not much more than many other drivers. It is a highly competitive and dangerous sport.
I find it sad and a complete ignorance of the law that some are calling for Tony Stewart to be charged with “murder”. At most, and I think unless more evidence comes to light, the very most he might be charged with is negligent manslaughter or a “wrongful death” in a civil suit and even that’s a stretch. I don’t see any premeditated intent here.
FWIW, some years ago I had gone out to lunch and was coming back to my office, driving up York Road in Timonium Maryland (a very busy road with two lanes each way with a center turning lane) when all of a sudden I heard a very loud thump and my car lurched a bit. I looked all around thinking another car had hit me and saw no other cars around me, then I saw in my rear view mirror some guy in the road behind me limping away.
I slammed my brakes, stopped my car and jumped out to see if the guy was OK.
He was trying to cross the very busy road and ran at full run across two lanes of the south bound traffic because it was clear and then continuing without looking to look for the oncoming traffic in the north bound lane, he just kept running and he ran straight into the side of my car. I never saw him and evidently he never saw me until he ran into me.
Fortunately he just bounced off a bit and was OK. I really wanted to call 9-11 and have him checked out and pleaded with him to get checked out, but he refused and just walked away, I never even got his name. I got back in my car and drove back to work, shaking the whole way. I kept thinking, what if I had been going a bit faster or a bit slower….and if I had been going slower he might have ran out in front of me instead of running into the side of my car? And I still might not have seen him until it was too late and the result, while it would still not have been my fault, it might have been very tragic and life changing for both of us. He could have been seriously injured or might have died because of his stupidity, but I would also have had to go through the rest of my life dealing with that and even that I wasn't at fault, I might have faced a police investigation, or a civil lawsuit.
But I did have an interesting story to tell my boss and co-workers as to why I was late getting back from lunch saying; “My car was hit by a pedestrian” and not everyone can say that.
