NASCAR Driver Ted Christopher Killed in Plane Crash
Ted Christopher, a famous National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) driver, had been confirmed dead in a plane crash last Saturday.
Authorities identified Christopher as one of the two people found dead in a small plane that crashed in Guilford, Connecticut, Fox 61 reports.
The other person found dead was Charles Dundas, a resident of New York and Florida.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that Christopher and Dundas — who is also the pilot — were the only ones aboard the Mooney M20-C plane that crashed before 2 p.m. last Sept. 16, Fox News confirmed.
The crash was found by locals Carrie Carignan and her fiancé while walking around on the field an hour after they heard the plane go down.
"It almost sounded like a dump truck like opening the back and gravel falling out," Carignan explained. She called the authorities and described what she heard to Lt. James Lovelace of the North Branford Police Department, who was first to respond to the scene.
Thompson Speedway shared their condolences by paying tribute to Christopher in a post on Facebook.
"All of us at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park are saddened to learn of Ted Christopher's passing. Last Sunday, he recorded his 99th victory on our oval. He will be remembered as one of the greatest Modified drivers of all time. May Ted rest in peace. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Christopher family, and all those impacted by this tragic loss," the post reads.
Several race car professionals also shared on Twitter how Christopher's death was unfortunate, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Alex Bowman.
Christopher was supposed to compete at Riverhead Raceway in New York that night that the plane crashed. Traffic officials are planning to have Christopher's car driven for a ceremonial lap during a moment of silence for the fans to pay tribute to the late legend.
Officials have yet to reveal where the plane was coming from and where it was headed.