Crash was ‘no one’s fault,’ widow says
The widow of a sprint-car driver who died from injuries suffered in a crash Saturday night, and the other driver involved reached out separately to thank fans for their support following Jason Johnson’s death.
Johnson, 41, died Sunday morning after the accident in the World of Outlaws feature at Beaver Dam Raceway.
His car and the car of Daryn Pittman touched wheels, sending Johnson into a series of violent flips that catapulted the car into a billboard and then onto the top of the concrete wall.
“It was a racing accident. No one’s fault,” Bobbi Johnson, Jason’s wife, said in a statement posted late Monday on the Jason Johnson Racing website. “Just two great drivers racing hard for the lead at Beaver Dam.
“My heart goes out to Daryn, (his wife) Mandy and their beautiful daughters. Daryn has always raced us clean and did on this night for sure. No this or that, just clean hard racing. I will be forever grateful for their family and I will keep them in my prayers as I realize this is a difficult time for them too.”
Shortly thereafter, Pittman — who went on to win the race — posted a statement on his Twitter page saying he’d had a “tough couple days” but that the Johnson family’s were worse. In addition to Bobbi, Johnson left a son, Jaxx.
“I will be fine & I’m thankful for my Faith, my Family, my friends & my racing family to get through tough times when we are reminded how fragile life can be!” he wrote.
Pittman also said he was thankful his wife could log into his account to deal with comments “from anyone who feels the need to be less than a human being” before he sees them.
Bobbi Johnson said in an earlier post that Jason was an organ donor and that he would be buried in his hometown of Eunice, La.