A member of our Street Outlaws family tragically lost his life. Our heart goes out to Ryan Fellows and his loved ones. Ryan will forever remain in our hearts and memories as we celebrate his life and his love for racing.
Ryan Fellows, star of the Discovery Channel racing show Street Outlaws: Fastest in America, was killed in a car crash near Las Vegas on Sunday, prompting a formal investigation by Nevada OSHA. “The Street Outlaws family is devastated by the accident that resulted in the tragic death of Ryan Fellows,” the show said in a statement Monday, confirming his death. “Our deepest condolences go out to Ryan’s family as they deal with this sudden and devastating loss.”
TMZ first reported the fatal crash in Nevada. Hadfield said the Discovery Channel production crew was given permission to film in the desert, and representatives from the department were in the area at the time of the crash.
Fellows close friend Brad Sparks said the Discovery star was driving a gold Nissan 240Z when he apparently lost control of the car just before the finish line. Before anyone could get to the Fellows in the car, the car overturned and burst into flames.
Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed Tuesday that it is beginning a formal inspection of the fatal crash. A spokesman declined to go into details of the incident, citing an ongoing investigation.
Sheriff officials said the incident should not be considered a criminal case, which has been referred to OSHA. On Sunday afternoon, Sparks started a GoFundMe for Fellows, calling him an “avid car enthusiast and ‘warrior’ in many ways.” Fellows is married with two children, ages 18 and 10.
Sparks and Fellows have been friends for more than 20 years, and Sparks said that despite Fellows’ success on Discovery, Fellows remains the same humble, loyal friend he’s known since childhood.
“The reputation hasn’t gotten to the point where it would tarnish his character,” Sparks said. “He’s very humble in that regard.”
Although Sparks is four years older than Fellows, he said he always looked up to the street sharpshooter star. Even before the show, Fellows hosted many of the successful companies that funded his competition, Sparks said. “The payoff allowed him to fulfill his dream of driving a fast car,” Sparks said. “He joined ‘Street Outlaws’ because he was addicted to winning and crossing the finish line. It fueled his urge to overcome any obstacle.”
The fatal incident is not the first time a star of the show has fallen this year. In January, another star of the show, JJ Da Boss, and his wife clashed while filming a game for the show in Texas. Halfway through the race, one of the cars caught fire before skidding and colliding with the other car.
