A grand jury will decide whether NASCAR driver Tony Stewart will be charged in the August death of a fellow driver at a sprint car race in upstate New York, a prosecutor has explained.
Ontario County District Attorney Michael Tantillo said he made the decision to present the case to a grand jury after reviewing evidence collected by county sheriff's investigators.
Tantillo could have determined there was not enough evidence to support charges and dropped the case, but instead announced his decision more than a month after Stewart's car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. at a dirt-track race on August 9.
In a statement, Stewart said he respects the time and effort authorities have spent "investigating this tragic accident."
"I look forward to this process being completed, and I will continue to provide my full cooperation," he said.
Stewart spent three weeks in seclusion before returning for the final two races of the Sprint Cup season.
Ward had spun while racing alongside Stewart and then the 20-year-old climbed out of his car and walked down the track, waving his arms in an apparent attempt to confront the 43-year-old NASCAR veteran.
"Upon my review of all of the information contained in the entire investigation," Tantillo said.
"I have made the determination that it would be appropriate to submit the evidence to the grand jury for their determination as to what action should be taken in this matter."
He said the law prevented him from saying when the case would be scheduled or who would be called as witnesses.
The sheriff asked in the days after Ward's death for spectators to turn over photos and videos of the crash as investigators worked to reconstruct the accident.
Among the things being looked at were the dim lighting, how muddy it was and whether Ward's dark firesuit played a role in his death, given the conditions.
After Ward's death, NASCAR announced a rule that prohibits drivers from climbing out of a crashed or disabled vehicle - unless it is on fire - until safety personnel arrive.
Stewart, who has 48 career Cup wins in 542 starts, is one of the biggest stars in the garage.
He has long been one of the most proficient drivers in racing, winning in every kind of series, from sprint cars to the elite Sprint Cup Series.
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