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Business News
Grain Valley, MO —
Local police are not investigating the crash that killed a sprint car racer at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley Friday night.
Jeff Osborn, 38, of Savannah, Mo., reportedly lost control of his car during the race, leaving the track and rolling before striking a pole, according to Eddie Saffell, assistant chief with the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District.
Osborn was a self-employed contractor. He leaves a wife and two boys, ages 14 and 12.
The wreck happened in front of a crowd, including his family. He was taken to a local hospital where he died.
Aaron Ambrose, police chief with Grain Valley, said his department took a general report but was not investigating.
“Many people think we have jurisdiction in the speedway, but we don’t,” Ambrose said Monday, adding that the Missouri State Highway Patrol came and looked around but they, too, aren’t investigating.
In fact, Ambrose said the patrol discovered a state law that specifies that law enforcement agencies have no jurisdiction at racing tracks – at least not when it comes to traffic accidents. The crash will most likely be investigated by insurance companies, Ambrose said.
“We wouldn’t know how to start an investigation at a place like that,” Ambrose said. “It’s not like there’s pavement, things like that.”
Osborn, who was well known on the sprint car racing circuit and had spent much of his racing career in Nebraska, was a self-employed contractor who devoted much of his free time to racing, according to his wife, Tina.
“If he could have gone professional, he would have,” she said.
Tina Osborn said even though her husband spent much of his time racing, it didn’t mean he was away from his family very much. She said Osborn considered her and his two sons part of the team.
She added that the Grain Valley track was in good shape Friday night.
“He used all the safety precautions that they possibly had,” she said.
It was unclear Monday if racing resumed Friday or Saturday night, and messages left with the owner, Dennis Shrout, were not returned Monday. No results from Friday’s or Saturday’s races were posted on the track’s website, valleyspeedway.com.
Shrout issued a statement from the track Monday entitled “Prayers for the Jeff Osborn family.”
It reads: “Friday night we lost Jeff Osborn, one of the fan favorite sprint car drivers. It was a tragic racing incident that everyone hopes that will never happen. I look at our fans and teams as family of Valley Speedway and to me this has the same impact as a family member being taken at a young age with a lot of living ahead of him.
Local police are not investigating the crash that killed a sprint car racer at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley Friday night.
Jeff Osborn, 38, of Savannah, Mo., reportedly lost control of his car during the race, leaving the track and rolling before striking a pole, according to Eddie Saffell, assistant chief with the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District.
Osborn was a self-employed contractor. He leaves a wife and two boys, ages 14 and 12.
The wreck happened in front of a crowd, including his family. He was taken to a local hospital where he died.
Aaron Ambrose, police chief with Grain Valley, said his department took a general report but was not investigating.
“Many people think we have jurisdiction in the speedway, but we don’t,” Ambrose said Monday, adding that the Missouri State Highway Patrol came and looked around but they, too, aren’t investigating.
In fact, Ambrose said the patrol discovered a state law that specifies that law enforcement agencies have no jurisdiction at racing tracks – at least not when it comes to traffic accidents. The crash will most likely be investigated by insurance companies, Ambrose said.
“We wouldn’t know how to start an investigation at a place like that,” Ambrose said. “It’s not like there’s pavement, things like that.”
Osborn, who was well known on the sprint car racing circuit and had spent much of his racing career in Nebraska, was a self-employed contractor who devoted much of his free time to racing, according to his wife, Tina.
“If he could have gone professional, he would have,” she said.
Tina Osborn said even though her husband spent much of his time racing, it didn’t mean he was away from his family very much. She said Osborn considered her and his two sons part of the team.
She added that the Grain Valley track was in good shape Friday night.
“He used all the safety precautions that they possibly had,” she said.
It was unclear Monday if racing resumed Friday or Saturday night, and messages left with the owner, Dennis Shrout, were not returned Monday. No results from Friday’s or Saturday’s races were posted on the track’s website, valleyspeedway.com.
Shrout issued a statement from the track Monday entitled “Prayers for the Jeff Osborn family.”
It reads: “Friday night we lost Jeff Osborn, one of the fan favorite sprint car drivers. It was a tragic racing incident that everyone hopes that will never happen. I look at our fans and teams as family of Valley Speedway and to me this has the same impact as a family member being taken at a young age with a lot of living ahead of him.
“Racing is a dangerous sport and can have severe consequences. The people that do race love what they do and know the risk but down deep you don’t really think it will happen.
“Our deepest sympathy and prayers go out to the Osborn family in this time of crisis. We are all here in support of anything we might do to comfort them in this time of need.
“Please keep Tina Osborn and their two children in your thoughts and prayers. Our drivers will be coming through the grandstands during intermission Friday and Saturday collecting donations for the family for Jeff, their fallen friend.”
Saffell said Monday that he didn’t hear any activity Saturday, but that means little.
“It takes a lot to stop them,” Saffell said, referring to the racers.
Saffell said fatalities at the track are rare.
Osborn’s visitation is 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Breit-Hawkins & Gladden Funeral Home in Savannah. His funeral is 10 p.m. Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
