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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Susan Knox

Ken Block’s daughter breaks silence on Top Gear star's death with tearjerking tribute

Rally driver Ken Block 's eldest daughter, Lia, released an emotional statement on Instagram following her father’s tragic death earlier this week.

The former Top Gear star died at the age of 55 after a snowmobile accident.

On Monday, Block's devastated team, Honnigan Racing Division, shared the news of his death saying 'he will be incredibly missed'.

"It's with our deepest regrets that we can confirm that Ken Block passed away in a snowmobile accident today," read a statement posted to Instagram.

"Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And, most importantly, a father and husband. He will be incredibly missed. Please respect the family's privacy at this time while they grieve."

The former Top Gear star died at the age of 55 after a snowmobile accident (@liakblock/Instagram)
Ken tragically died on Monday (AFP via Getty Images)

Days after her beloved father's tragic passing, Ken's 16-year-old daughter Lia took to Instagram to remember her famous dad, who she called her 'best friend'.

"Yesterday I didn’t just lose my father, I lost my best friend,” Lia said in the moving tribute.

"He was truly my whole world and the only person I ever looked up too. No matter what I did he was always there to support me.

"I can’t believe how fast he was taken from all of us. No words can describe of how much of an amazing human my dad was, he lived so many lives, accomplished more in 55 years than most people could in 10 lifetimes, and lived his life to the absolute fullest every single day.”

Lia called her late dad her 'best friend' (@liakblock/Instagram)

Lia went on: "He always did what he loved no matter what, right up to the last second, and always was there for me and my siblings and my mom whenever we did what we loved. He never said no to something we wanted to try, never pushed us to like what he liked, just opened the door for us to explore.

"He never missed an opportunity to help us grow as good people, he always told me that he wanted us to be even more amazing, caring, happy, selfless, humans than him and my mom. He always helped others and opened doors for so many other people. I can only hope to do half as many amazing things he did."

Ken's devastated daughter finished off her poignant post as she penned: "I grew up, knowing in the back of my head, that I wanted to be just like dad. He was one of the most amazing people in the world, not to mention the best dad I could have ever asked for.

Lia has followed in her dad's footsteps (@liakblock/Instagram)

"I will strive every single day to make you proud. I love you to the moon and back Kenny boi."

Just hours before his tragic death, Block tweeted in support of his 16-year-old daughters' racing show.

"The 4th and final episode of my 16-year-old daughter Lia buying, tearing down, rebuilding and now driving her ‘85 Audi Ur Quattro will be live at 8am PST tomorrow on my YouTube channel," he tweeted.

"Will her Audi finally do a donut?? Or will it break in the attempt? Tune in to find out."

Ken Block has died at the age of 55 (NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Following his tragic death, the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office, which attended the scene of the crash, released a statement a short time later on Block.

The Sheriff's Office said that Ken was riding on a steep slope when the snowmobile flipped over and landed on top of him.

"On January 2, 2023 at approximately 2pm, the Wasatch County 911 Centre received a call reporting a snowmobile accident in the Mill Hollow area," it read.

"Search and Rescue, along with law enforcement from Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office, Utah State Parks and the US Forest Service responded. The driver, Kenneth Block, 55-year-old male out of Park City, Utah, was riding a snowmobile on a steep slope when the snowmobile upended, landing on top of him.

Block is survived by his wife Lucy and three children (Joe Marino - Bill Cantrell/UPI/REX/Shutterstock)

"He was pronounced deceased at the scene from injuries sustained in the accident. Mr Block was riding with a group but was alone when the accident occurred. The State Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the official cause of death."

Block is survived by his wife Lucy and three children.

The late action sports star began rallying in his native USA in 2005, initially in the Rally America series.

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