Just days before Jessi Combs‘ death stemming from an accident while trying to break her own land-speed record on Tuesday, the former Mythbusters star helped her boyfriend, Terry Madden, reunite with his 17-year-old son. On Sunday, Madden shared a selfie with his teenage son, Dalton Madden and Combs, and thanked her for making the reunion happen. Combs died in a crash in Alvord Desert, Oregon at the age of 39.
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“Can’t express how excited I/we are to have this kid here!!!” Madden wrote in the caption. “Got a phone call 2 weeks ago – ‘Dad I wanna come to California for my senior year.’ He loaded his stuff in pickup at 17 – drove 1000 mile across country by himself from Kansas to California, spent the last week painting and working on his room, and starts school tomorrow as a Senior at Yucca Valley High School. Never in million years imagined I would end up in Yucca Valley – let alone be able to enjoy it with such amazing people.”
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“Really proud of you [Dalton Madden] and really excited to see what we can all accomplish together,” Madden continued. “Thank You !!! So much Jessi for helping make all this happen! You have no idea what it means to me!!”
In the end, Madden included the hashtags, “back to school,” “senior” and “family.”
The photo turned out to be the last one Madden shared with Combs before her death. On Wednesday, he shared a heartbreaking message, along with a slideshow of photos with Combs.
“So I don’t know how to say any of this but it all needs said,” Madden wrote. “I have never loved or been loved by anyone as much as this amazing woman [Combs] she was truly my unicorn and I enjoyed every single minute that I had with her. She was the most amazing spirit that I have ever or will ever know.”
Madden said he and her team “did everything humanly possible to save her!!”
In the end, Madden wrote, “Love you all and thank you all for being such amazing friends to her, she dedicated her life to helping support others dreams and I promise I will continue that.”
At the time of her death, Combs was trying to break the land-speed record in a special, jet-powered car. She previously set the record in 2013, earning the title “fastest woman on four wheels,” by reaching 398 miles per hour in the North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger. She set another record in October 2018 by reaching 483 miles per hour.
Aside from her racing career, Combs was a popular host on science and auto television shows, including Xtreme 4X4, Mythbusters, Powerblock, The List: 1001 Car Thinks To Do Before You Die and All Girls Garage.
In his Instagram tribute, Madden told fans Combs’ family is working on a documentary and foundation.
“Please donate to nothing, I know there will be people try, we are finishing the documentary as she wished and the world will know the truth and her foundation will use those funds to do amazing things in this world and make her legacy live on properly,” he wrote. “In the coming days her family and I will get the proper channels put together that you can then donate to that foundation but until you hear it from me wait please-I don’t want some a—hole profiting off this (all ready had one try to sell us a video).”
Photo credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
