Just a few weeks before the trial was set to begin, former NASCAR star Tony Stewart ended a wrongful death lawsuit that had been going on for over two years.
The trial, which was set to begin on May 7th, 2018 – was the result of ongoing litigation between Stewart and the family of Kevin Ward Jr. Stewart stood accused of intentionally crashing into Ward during a sprint car race – a collision that claimed the life of the 20-year-old.
Kevin Ward Jr. was killed on the dirt sprint car track at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in upstate New York after Stewart’s car struck him on August 9th, 2014. Ward was found to have been under the influence of marijuana at the time of the incident.
Stewart has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing in court after a grand jury ruled not to indict him on manslaughter charges. Following their decision, the Ward family filed a civil lawsuit in federal court.
Stewart’s attorneys had sought to have portions of the case dismissed and filed motions to support their request, but the judge ruled that the civil case can move forward as-is. Now, on the cusp of a jury trial, it appears that both sides have reached an agreement in the matter.
According to ESPN, U.S. District Court Judge David Hurd has set aside a date for a settlement hearing on April 12th – to put the terms of the settlement on public record. The settlement will put an end to the civil lawsuit that accuses Stewart of wrongful death – and it’s highly likely the specific terms of their agreement will be kept secret as part of the settlement terms.
After the incident, the Ward family spoke openly about their views on the incident – and even sat down with ABC News for an interview.
Watch their interview below and tell us what you think of this lawsuit.