Police have released the early results of their investigation into the fatal crash that killed NASCAR driver Jason Leffler, and they have concluded that it was caused by the mechanical failure of his front suspension.
The suspension failure caused his steering to lock, slamming his car into the wall, according to the Charlotte Observer.
Cars in the race at Bridgeport Speedway in New Jersey two weeks ago were averaging 135 mph and were topping 150 on the straightaways, according to the report. Upon the lockup of Leffler's suspension, the car spun, hit the wall, and rolled before eventually landing upright.
The cause of death was blunt force neck injury.
Leffler, 37, raced in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series, in addition to racing at the Indy 500 in 2000. He left behind a son, Charlie, and a charitable foundation has been set up in his honor.
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