An Indianapolis-based racer who drove for the Tony Stewart Racing team died in an apparent road rage incident on Friday.
Ashlea Albertson, 24, was a passenger in a GMC Terrain that crashed around 11:30am on I-65 in Jackson County just south of Seymour, Indiana.
Indiana State Police say a man driving a Malibu pulled up alongside the Terrain and that video recorded by a passenger in another vehicle showed both drivers next to each other, refusing to let each other pass.
The Malibu suddenly changes lanes right into the Terrain’s path and the two vehicles collide, police said. The SUV rolled over and Albertson was ejected.
She was flown to the University of Louisville Hospital where she died from her injuries. The two drivers and a juvenile passenger in the Malibu were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
The crash is under investigation by the Indiana State Police.
Tony Stewart wrote in a social media post that he had lost a teammate that had “an infectious personality and could light up any room.”
“She was a great race car driver that was involved in a road rage accident and lost her life,” Stewart wrote.
“In the past, I’ve also gotten caught up in road rage. I hope that we can honor Ashlea by controlling what we can control on the highway. Losing her is a sobering reminder of how precious life is.”
