Kelley Earnhardt Breaks Silence After Plane Crash

Former NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. was involved in a plane crash Thursday afternoon in Tennessee, with his family on the plane. But while everyone is safe, the first person to confirm the news of the crash and the safety of Earnhardt’s family was his sister, Kelley Earnhardt, who is also the co-owner of JR Motorsports. Once news outlets in the area started to report the crash, Kelley went to Twitter to let everyone know what was going on.

“I can confirm Dale, Amy and Isla along with his two pilots were involved in a crash in Bristol, Tennessee this afternoon,” she said. “Everyone is safe and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation. We have no further information at this time. Thank you for your understanding.”

Later in the day, Kelley went back on Twitter to thank everyone for their support while the family is recovering from the crash.

“Finally laying down for the night and want to say thank you to God, the angels among us, our pilots, first responders, medical staff, our NASCAR family and everyone that has reached out in whatever way to support us all,” she said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane, which was a Cessna Citation, rolled off the runway at the Elizabethton Municipal Airport at 3:40 p.m. CT on Thursday after landing which is when the plane caught fire. The National Transportation Safety Board is sending two representatives to investigate the crash.

Dale was on the plane along with his wife, Amy; 15-month old daughter, Isla; a dog and two pilots. The 44-year old is an analyst for NBC Sports and the company released a statement when it heard the news.

“We’re incredibly grateful that Dale, his wife Amy, daughter Isla, and the two pilots are safe following today’s accident,” NBC Sports said in a statement via ESPN. “After being discharged from the hospital, we communicated with Dale and his team, and we’re all in agreement that he should take this weekend off to be with his family.

“We look forward to having him back in the booth next month at Darlington.”

Dale retired from racing in 2017 and considered by many as the best to ever do it. He won the Busch Series twice and he won the Daytona 500 in 2004 and 2014.