Tragedy has hit the street racing community, as Ryan Fellows of the Street Outlaws of the Discovery channel franchise died in a car accident in Las Vegas. The 41-year-old was a street racer and member of the “Street Outlaws: Fastest in America” cast.
“The ‘Street Outlaws’ family is heartbroken by the accident that led to the tragic death of Ryan Fellows,” the program’s Twitter account posted. “We extend our deepest sympathy to Ryan’s loved ones as they process this sudden and devastating loss.”
Fellows was from Chula Vista, California, and had two children with his wife Liz, 18-year-old Josiah and 10-year-old Olivia. Fellows reportedly maintained several successful businesses allowing him to fund his racing career. The family created a Go Fund Me page to help with the expenses from his sudden death.
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“Ryan was an avid car enthusiast and was a road “warrior” in many ways that extended to loves of basketball, cars and business in sales/advertising,” according to the GoFundMe page. “He was admired for tenacity and a relentless drive to overcome the challenges before him.”
Currently, with three seasons on television, “Street Outlaws” brought the reality show format to the illegal world of street racing, shining a light on a little-known industry of vehicle mavericks and speed demons.
The “Fastest in America” version is one of the four Street Outlaws subbrands on the Discovery Channel franchise. The television phenomenon began with its first iteration, “Memphis,” which premiered in 2013 and rolled into “No Prep Kings.” The franchise provides an inside look into the world of street racing.
The “Fastest in America” brand is a racing competition focusing on eight racing teams going head-to-head for a $100,000 grand prize. Fellows, who competed as a guest racer in a season 5 episode of “Memphis,” racing a Lamborghini Huracan as part of a team from Arizona. He also competed in the third season of “Street Outlaws.”
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, the fiery crash occurred on Sunday at 12:30 am near North Las Vegas Boulevard and Harry Allen Power Plant. Fellows and another driver were racing while the show was filming. Fellows was driving a gold Nissan 240z, which lost control close to the finish line, resulting in the vehicle rolling and eventually catching fire.
Now the show might have another issue as the Nevada State Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is supposedly opening an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
“Fame didn’t get ahold of him where it would corrupt his character,” longtime friend Brad Sparks said to Yahoo! “He was just very humble in that way. That payoff led him to his dream to go fast,” Sparks said. “He was in ‘Street Outlaws’ because he got addicted to winning and overcoming the finish line. That’s what fueled his drive to overcome any obstacle.”
The show has a history of crashes. In January, star JJ Da Boss crashed into his wife in Texas during the filming of a race with one of the vehicles catching fire in the middle of the race, veering and crashing into the other car.
