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Tony Stewart asks judge to dismiss wrongful death claim

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Lawyers for former NASCAR champion Tony Stewart are pushing for a wrongful death claim against him to be dropped.

Stewart was involved in a deadly crash nearly three years ago in New York.

He was racing on a dirt track in August 2014. Kevin Ward Jr. had gotten crashed and gotten out of his car when Stewart hit him.

Court documents obtained by WSYR say Ward was killed instantly. Ward’s family claims Stewart was driving recklessly and — while he may not have meant to hurt the other driver — he intended to scare him.

The motion Stewart’s lawyers filed on Tuesday also cite Ward’s autopsy that reportedly showed levels of THC found in his blood.

A hearing on the motion is set for late April. A grand jury previously cleared Stewart of any criminal charges in the case.

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