Longtime Stewart-Haas Racing employee killed in crash..
Stewart-Haas Racing is mourning the loss of long-time employee Shawn Soules, who was killed in a motorcycle/car crash Tuesday night near Statesville, North Carolina.
According to the Mooresville (N.C.) Tribune, Soules, 47, of Kannapolis, N.C., was riding his motorcycle southbound on NC State Highway 3 when it collided with a BMW passenger car driven by Douglas Catropa, 47, of Mooresville.
According to a report by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Catropa was traveling north on Highway 3 when his vehicle turned left onto Johnson Dairy Road and collided with Soules’ motorcycle.
Soules reportedly died at the scene, while Catropa was uninjured, according to the police report, which stated Catropa was wearing a seatbelt and that impairment or phone distraction are not suspected. The report also stated Soules was wearing a helmet and that impairment or excessive speed are not suspected.
The Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the crash.
In a statement to NBC Sports.com, Stewart-Haas Racing president Brett Frood said: “We are grieving the loss of one of our own. Shawn Soules was an exceptional member of Stewart-Haas Racing whose expertise, passion and genuine fun-loving personality will be greatly missed and remembered. This is a tragic loss for the entire racing community and we are committed to providing support to Shawn’s family and colleagues during this difficult time.”
Rodney Childers, crew chief for the No. 4 SHR Ford Mustang of Kevin Harvick, tweeted about the loss of Soules early Wednesday morning.