Former NASCAR driver and current television analyst Clint Bowyer was involved in a deadly car accident on Sunday, June 5. A 47-year-old woman was fatally struck by the vehicle near Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.
FOX 4 in Kansas City reported the investigation into the accident has been completed. The woman was identified as Mary Jane Simmons of Camdenton, Missouri.
The Lake Ozark Police Department found Bowyer was driving westbound on U.S. 54 and was approaching Missouri 242 when he struck a woman who was walking on a ramp. Simmons was pronounced dead at the scene when first responders arrived at the site.
The police department’s report indicates that Bowyer stopped immediately after he struck the woman and called 911. There was no alcohol found in Bowyer’s system with no signs of impairment.
A substance believed to be methamphetamine was found near the victim’s belongings, according to the report. Authorities believe she was under the influence at the time of the accident.
“Anyone that knows me, knows that family is everything to me,” Bowyer said in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Ms. Simmons. This is a very difficult time for my family and I, please respect our privacy as we move forward.”
Bowyer Absent from Last Week’s NASCAR Broadcast
Clint Bowyer was absent from last week’s NASCAR broadcast at Sonoma Raceway in California. FOX Sports announced that the analyst was tending to a “personal matter.”
The accident occurred just hours after Bowyer completed broadcast coverage of the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of this tragedy,” FOX Sports said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families.”
Bowyer joined the FOX Sports NASCAR broadcast team in 2021.
