By: Annabelle Lu

Chris Darnell, a 40-year-old Shockwave Jet Truck driver, died in a vehicular crash while racing two planes at the Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival on Saturday afternoon.

The crash took place during the pyrotechnic portion of the airshow in which Mr. Darnell seemingly drove a jet truck through a fireball at the Battle Creek Executive Airport while in pursuit of two planes. Despite the fact that the flames were only a pyrotechnic act, the Shockwave Jet Truck took a tumble after emerging from behind them before breaking into pieces on the runway.

“The pyro is on the grass. The jet truck is running on the runway. From the crowd’s side, it looks like he’s driving straight through the pyro. But he’s not,” said Barbara Haluszka, the executive director of the air show.

Mr. Darnell’s family was deeply affected by the loss of their youngest son after the accident. In a statement on Facebook, father Neal Darnell said that the crash was “a result of the mechanical failure on the Jet Truck,” and that “Chris so loved the Air Show business.”

The custom-built jet truck, also known as a Shockwave Jet Truck, was powered by three jet engines and a combined 36,000 horsepower. The vehicle was dubbed “most powerful truck in the world” by ShockwaveJetTruck.com, and it is boasted to have the ability to reach speeds above 350 miles per hour.

After confirming the death of Mr. Darnell on Facebook, the Battle Creek Police Department said it had no more information about the crash, which is still under investigation. A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said that the agency would not investigate the crash because the accident involved a truck, not an airplane.

Link to article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/02/us/jet-truck-explosion-michigan-air-show.html