Race car driver Jessi Combs dies in crash during attempt to break land-speed record
Race car driver and TV personality Jessi Combs returned to Oregon with hopes of breaking her own record. Approximately 6 years ago she broke the women’s land speed record. Tragically, her record breaking attempt turned fatal. She died in a crash that is now being investigated.
Oregon police are attempting to retrieve laptop computers that were reportedly in race car star Jessi Combs' “jet car” during her fatal crash on Aug. 27 as they gather more information on the tragic event, officials announced.
The popular race car driver and TV personality was reportedly attempting to break her own land-speed record when she died driving through a dry lake bed in the Alvord Desert. She was 39.
Combs was attempting to hit 619 mph, Autoblog reports.
On Wednesday, Lt. Brian Needham of the Harney County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that authorities are trying to recover laptops onboard the jet car (a race car propelled by jet engine). The computers said to be aboard Combs’ vehicle, the North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger, may hold additional keys for investigators.
Race car driver and TV personality Jessi Combs passed away on Aug. 27 in a fatal racing crash. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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“They’re waiting for the team to recover the [engine and systems] information stored on the inboard computers,” Needham told the New York Post.
The law enforcement officer also said that “there was a fire involved” but did not elaborate.
Officials with the Harney County Sheriff’s Office were not immediately available to offer additional comments on the investigation.
In 2013, Combs set the women’s land-speed world record for four-wheeled vehicles in North American Eagle, a run she coincidentally made in the Alvord Desert. She reportedly had an average speed of 398 mph in the stunt.
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The former guest host of “Mythbusters" is said to have hoped to one day set the overall women’s land-speed record, which would have required her to break speeds of 512 mph.
Aside from racing, Combs also served as the co-host for “The List” along with stints on “Overhaulin’,” “Extreme 4x4” and “All Girls Garage.”
In a statement on her death, the family of the "fastest woman on four wheels” said that Combs’ “most notable dream was to become the fastest woman on Earth, a dream she had been chasing since 2012.”
“Combs was one of the rare dreamers with the bravery to turn those possibilities into reality, and she left this earth driving faster than any other woman in history,” they said.
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Fox News’ Michael Hollan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.