The toxicology report from Kevin Ward Jr.'s body says the race driver had marijuana in his system when he died after being mowed down by Tony Stewart at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in upstate New York on Aug. 9.
Despite clearly hitting Ward while he stood on the track after leaving his stock car, Stewart has been cleared of manslaughter and negligent homicide charges.
Ward (No. 13 car) crashed into the sidewall after a close call with Stewart (No. 14 car). Moments later he emerged from the spun-around vehicle and started walking and pointing in the direction of the oncoming cars. One car (No. 45) went by him and then came Stewart, who made no effort to veer away from Ward and nailed him, sending the 20-year-old driver to the ground. The cause of death was massive blunt trauma.
As far as the marijuana in Ward's system, Orange County DA Michael Tantillo contends it was “enough to impair judgment.” But that doesn't indicate when Ward last used the substance, which can stay in the body's tissues for 30 days or more after ingestion. So this report proves very little.
Ward hailed from Port Leyton, 140 miles southwest of Canandaigua, where he started with go-karts and eventually graduated to stock cars. Stewart is currently ranked No. 26 among NASCAR's sprint car drivers. He has 48 career victories.
