Drag racer Ryan Fellows has died while filming a race for the latest season of the TV show Street Outlaws: Fastest in America, according to entertainment site TMZ.
The 41-year-old driver reportedly crashed while filming a race in Las Vegas for the next season of the Discovery show. According to TMZ:
Fellows was driving a gold Nissan 240Z, and somehow lost control near the finish line, Ryan’s vehicle rolled and caught fire ... onlookers were unable to get him out on time. Filming was ended for the day after the crash.
The crash occurred just outside Las Vegas on Sunday morning. Fellows was said to be competing in his eighth out of nine races when he lost control of the car.
In a statement posted on Twitter, the Street Outlaws production team said: “The Street Outlaws family is heartbroken by the accident that led to the tragic death of Ryan Fellows. We extend our deepest sympathy to Ryan’s loved ones as they process this sudden and devastating loss.”
Since his death, a crowdfunding campaign has been set up to support Fellows’ wife, Liz, and his two children, Josiah and Olivia. The campaign describes him as “an avid car enthusiast [who] was a road ‘warrior’ in many ways.” It continues:
“He was admired for tenacity and a relentless drive to overcome the challenges before him. The only thing he loved more than these efforts and achievements were his family-his wife Liz , children Josiah (18) and Olivia (10).”
Earlier this year, another cast member on ‘Street Outlaws’ was involved in a collision while filming the TV show. JJ Da Boss and his wife, Tricia, were injured in a crash that left Tricia hospitalized. Both individuals recovered.