Fans and admirers of “Fastest Woman on Four Wheels” Jessi Combs are processing the new development emerging out of the investigation surrounding the tragic August crash that caused her death at just 39. According to the Harney County Sheriff’s Office, as per TMZ, Combs’ custom jet-car’s front wheel failed as she was trying to break her own land speed record, causing the devastating crash. The front wheel’s failure came likely as she hit an object in her race across the desert, police determined.
Combs’ cause of death was previously attributed to blunt force trauma to the head, which she suffered in the crash, not any injury resulting from the fire that followed.
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As these new details emerged, fans of the daredevil and vehicle enthusiast were quick to share their thoughts on social media:
So sad. Such a talented woman.#JessiCombs https://t.co/adivKr5csb
โ Roberto Abramowitz (@RobAbramowitz) November 4, 2019
Jessi Combs’ fatal jet car crash caused by wheel failure, investigators sayhttps://t.co/z7gFq96XuP
โ Bama fanatic๐บ๐ธ@fanatic_bama (@Bamafanaticfan1) November 5, 2019
A Huge Loss For The Racing Industry God Bless This Great Lady ๐๐ปโฆ๏ธ๐๐ปโฆ๏ธ๐๐ปโฆ๏ธ๐บ๐ธ๐บ๐ธโฆ๏ธ๐บ๐ธโฆ๏ธโฆ๏ธ
Another wrote on Twitter, “She died doing what she loved. No tears,” while a different user wrote, “#RIP She was a pioneer!!”
Combs’ crash in Oregon’s Alvord Desert came as she was attempting to break her own land speed record as the “Fastest Woman on Four Wheels,” a record she had set not just once, but twice. Combs first broke the record with a top speed of 398 mph in 2013, topping that in 2018 with a top speed of 483.2 mph.
Combs also became a star on reality television as she appeared on a number of car-related shows such as Xtreme 4×4, Overhaulin’ or All Girls Garage, as well as her role on Mythbusters.
Photo credit: James Lemke Jr. / Getty Images