Racing driver Ashlea Albertson dies in “road rage accident”
24-year-old race car driver, Ashlea Albertson, was killed as she returned to her hometown of Greenfield, Indiana.
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Albertson’s 31-year-old fiancé, Jacob Kelly, was driving the car before losing control, leading to Albertson being thrown from the vehicle.
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Reports suggest Kelly was caught in a road rage tussle with another car whilst driving on the I-65 highway. Austin Cooper, 22, was the other driver involved, driving a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu.
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According to reports by The Daily Mail, video footage of the incident shows both cars “accelerating rapidly” as they jostled for position on the highway.
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According to Indiana State Police, “Evidence from the scene, including video footage captured by another vehicle, indicated that the two drivers began accelerating rapidly and refused to allow the other vehicle to pass”.
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The statement from Indiana State Police continues, “Cooper’s vehicle then began to change lanes into the path of Kelly’s vehicle. Jacob Kelly lost control of his vehicle and spun, which resulted in the two vehicles colliding in the middle of the northbound lanes.”
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Whilst traveling at extreme speeds down the highway, both cars collided, forcing Kelly and Albertson’s 2018 GMC Terrain off the road. This caused the car to flip, throwing Albertson from the car.
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Jacob Kelly also sustained injuries in the crash, as he was airlifted from the scene. His injuries are reported to be non-life threatening.
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Ashlea Albertson was also airlifted from the scene of the accident, arriving at the University of Louisville Hospital, where she was pronounced dead upon arrival.
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Austin Cooper, the other driver involved, was also treated for injuries alongside his passenger, who is an unnamed minor.
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Albertson is a member of the Tony Stewart Racing team. Stewart retired from NASCAR racing in 2016.
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In a Facebook post, Stewart stated, “Today, I lost a teammate. @AshDogRacing (Albertson) had an infectious personality and could light up any room”.
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In a separate statement on X (formerly Twitter) Stewart acknowledged, “In the past, I’ve also gotten caught up in road rage, I hope that we can honor Ashlea by controlling what we can control on the highway. Losing her is a sobering reminder of how precious life is.”
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In an emotional video posted to Facebook, Albertson’s father, Todd, said, “This is one of the hardest posts that I could possibly make, she was a good kid, a better person and she just loved racing, she loved the community.”
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Ashlea Albertson and Jacob Kelly were set to be married in March of 2024.
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