Former NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer did not fulfill his usual responsibilities as a FOX broadcaster last weekend due to a personal matter, and now we know why he was absent.
Bowyer struck and killed a pedestrian while driving in Missouri earlier this month. According to a Lake Ozark Police Department accident report that was obtained by Brian Dulle of FOX 4, Bowyer was driving in a 2019 Nissan Rogue at around 9 p.m. on June 5 when he hit a woman who was walking along an on ramp. The victim, 47-year-old Mary Jane Simmons, was pronounced dead at the scene after medical personnel tried to revive her.
Police say Bowyer showed no signs of impairment and took a breathalyzer test, which registered .000. Officers found a “crystalline substance … believed to be methamphetamine” near the belongings of the woman who was killed. Residents of a nearby RV park where she was staying said they believed she was under the influence of drugs.
Bowyer released a statement on Thursday night addressing the tragic incident.
“Anyone that knows me, knows that family is everything to me. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Ms. Simmons,” Bowyer said. “This is a very difficult time for my family and I, please respect our privacy as we move forward.”
The accident occurred hours after Bowyer worked as an analyst for FOX covering the NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill.
Bowyer was a driver in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2005 to 2020. He had 10 wins in his career.