NASCAR great Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been fortunate to escape uninjured with his family after a private jet crash in east Tennessee, CNN reports.
Earnhardt Jr. and his wife Amy were on the private jet with their daughter and two pilots when it ran off the runway after landing at Elizabethton Municipal Airport at 3:38 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration soon confirmed that the Cessna Citation ran off the end of the runway and caught fire shortly afterwards. Authorities say it ran through a fence before coming to a rest next to a highway.
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Speaking with local media, Elizabethton Fire Chief Barry Carrier revealed that all passengers escaped the aircraft shortly after the fire started. Asked about the condition of Earnhardt Jr., Carrier said “He was having a little bit of trouble. They transported him non-emergency.”
I can confirm Dale, Amy & Isla along with his two pilots were involved in a crash in Bristol TN this afternoon. Everyone is safe and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation. We have no further information at this time. Thank you for your understanding.
— Kelley Earnhardt (@EarnhardtKelley) August 15, 2019
Earnhardt. Jr’s sister Kelley later took to Twitter to confirm that everyone was safe.
“I can confirm Dale, Amy & Isla along with his two pilots were involved in a crash in Bristol TN this afternoon. Everyone is safe and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation. We have no further information at this time. Thank you for your understanding.”
The cause of the crash is yet to be determined but the National Transportation Safety Board did confirm it will send two accident investigators to the scene of the crash and subsequent fire.
It is believed that Earnhardt Jr. was in the area to attend NASCAR events at the nearby Bristol Motor Speedway approximately 15 miles from the airport.
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