“Mythbusters” star Jessi Combs’ fatal collision was the result of a mechanical failure on the front wheel of the car she was driving while attempting to break her own land-speed record.
According to documents obtained by People magazine from the Harney County Sheriff’s Office in a piece published Tuesday, investigators found that the crash was likely caused by some kind of object striking the front wheel of the car being driven by the TV host and race car driver back in August resulting in her death. She was 36. (RELATED: Legendary Comic Don Rickles Died At Age 90)
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According to the report:
The front wheel’s failure led to the front wheel assembly collapsing at speeds approaching 550 miles per hour, according to the report.
The cause of Combs’ death was ultimately found by investigators to be blunt force trauma to the head occurring prior to the fire that engulfed the vehicle after it crashed.
As previously reported, Combs was killed on August 27 when she was attempting to go nearly 619 mph in a jet-powered car in Oregon in the Alvord Desert when the vehicle crashed, per Autoblog. (RELATED: Hollywood Reacts To Death Of Legendary Actress Doris Day)
“It is with extreme grief, and in celebration of her life that her family and close friends share that race car driver, and TV personality Jessi Combs, passed away in a fatal crash,” a statement from the family read.
“Jessi [Combs] was known for her bright smile, positivity, and tenacious pursuit of the fulfillment of her dreams,” the statement added. “Her drive was infectious, and she served as a role model for young Girls, and Women around the world. People that loved her and followed her became family, all bonded together by adventure and passion.”
Combs is probably best known as the “Fastest Woman on Four Wheels” after setting a women’s land-speed record in 2016 for driving nearly 478 mph, per TMZ.