NASCAR's Ryan Newman and Wife Announced Separation Days Before His Scary Daytona 500 Crash
NASCAR driver Ryan Newman and his wife announced their separation just four days before he was seriously injured in a terrifying crash at the Daytona 500 on Monday.
The 42-year-old was on the final lap of the race when his No. 6 Ford was tapped by driver Ryan Blaney. Ryan’s race car flew into the air and repeatedly flipped upside down before catching fire after sliding off the track.
Ryan was transported to Halifax Medical Center and listed in serious condition, NASCAR said in a statement. His injuries were non-life threatening, the organization said.
On Feb. 13 — just four days before the crash — Ryan and his wife, Krissie Newman, announced they were amicably separating after 16 years of marriage.
“After 16 years of marriage, Krissie and I have decided to amicably separate,” Ryan said in a post to Twitter. “We will continue to jointly raise our girls, while remaining friends and continuing to work together supporting Rescue Ranch.”
The couple’s North Carolina-based nonprofit, Rescue Ranch, was founded in 2012 and promotes responsible pet ownership and wildlife conservation.
The couple shares daughters Brooklyn and Ashlyn.
“Thank you for the years of support and friendship,” Ryan continued in his statement. “We ask that [our] daughters’ privacy be respected at this time.”
Krissie also shared the statement on her Twitter account that day.
According to Bleacher Report, Ryan and Krissie met during a blind date in 2001. They married three years later on Jan. 3, 2004.
RELATED: NASCAR Driver Mike Stefanik Dies at 61 After Plane Crash
Just before the Daytona 500 kicked off, Krissie said she was “praying for a safe race” in a reply to a follower on Twitter.
After the crash, she simply tweeted “omg.”
Driver Denny Hamlin ended up winning the Daytona 500 just as the crash occurred.
“I didn’t see the contact the other car has with [Ryan] when he was in the air,” he told CBS Sports.
“The worst-case scenario you can possibly have any time you have a wreck is to have somebody’s nose kinda where your head is at,” he added.
According to CBS, Monday’s Daytona 500 ended with the second-closest finish ever for the iconic race.
