Wendi Ward, the aunt of Kevin Ward Jr. and the sister of his father, issued an open letter Sunday morning on behalf of the family.
The letter was read over the phone to USA Today. You can view the full letter here and below are some excerpts.
Why was the toxicology report even an issue? Seems to me the wrong man was on trial. Tell me why Tony Stewart was not taken in for testing, why his car wasn't impounded. Tell me how a man the size of Kevin can make a sprint car turn to the right on impact. Tell me how a lap before (the incident) everything was fine, but the following lap was poor lighting. Tell me how a NASCAR star totally forgot what caution means.
Maybe he should get a different headset so he is able to hear on the radio that the car in caution is up high, so go low. Or was he low until he rounded the corner and saw Kevin Jr. standing up for himself?
An Ontario County (N.Y.) grand jury did not charge NASCAR driver Tony Stewart in Ward's death on August 9. Ward was struck and killed by Stewart after he ran onto the track after exiting his vehicle to confront Stewart after a crash.
When announcing the findings of the investigation into the case, Ontario County District Attorney Michael Tantillo said toxicology reports determined Ward was under the influence of marijuana and the amount was enough to impair his judgment. Tantillo said Stewart met with a drug recognition expert. Stewart was never arrested and according to New York law, a person cannot be forced to give a sample for a drug test if he or she is not under a race.
This means nothing to me, but I want to say it is my understanding that pot stays in a person's system days, weeks, possibly months. Rumor has it that it may be legalized and prescribed for some patients, so then will these people have their drivers' licenses taken away because it makes you react – supposedly -- in a certain way?
To me, that's not the case. It's known to mellow a person. We understand that the report showed marijuana, but we as a family don't believe he was under the influence or impaired at the time due to the 10 hours prior to the race that he spent with the family.
What we do believe is that maybe people react to certain situations because of anger. I've seen it in NASCAR, sports functions and even on our own roads. And yes, these people have to pay for their actions. Well, I guess it depends on who you are.
Stewart said in an interview Thursday that the incident was "100 percent an accident."
The Ward family has strongly hinted at civil action. This letter does not contradict that.
And to end this, I've heard time and time again, "We just want Kevin's story out there." Here you go. Kevin Ward Jr. was an amazing person. His life was wrapped around family, friends and racing, which he started at age 4. Just a small-town boy having fun until the days turned into years, and it then became his passion and life. The trophies, plaques and pictures that fill his home, garage and workshop show his hard work and dedication to racing – his love for the sport.
Through it all, he had the support of his family and friends behind him. He opened his life to our community. As you would go by the shop where he and his dad worked on the car for the upcoming race or after a race, the doors would be wide open and there would always be people in and out wishing him luck, sharing a story, offering a hand or simply just standing there in their own way saying, "We're here for you, bud."
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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