On August 27th, 2019, former MythBusters star Jessi Combs died in a fatal crash while attempting
to break her own land speed record in Oregon's Alvord Desert.
She was 39.
Combs' family provided a heartfelt statement to auto blog Jalopnik, saying:
"It is with extreme grief, and in celebration of her life that her family and close friends
share that race car driver, and TV personality Jessi Combs, passed away in a fatal crash.
[...] Jessi was known for her bright smile, positivity, and tenacious pursuit of the fulfillment
of her dreams.
Her drive was infectious, and she served as a role model for young Girls, and Women around
the world."
The statement went on to say:
"People that loved her and followed her became family, all bonded together by adventure and
passion, Her fans adored her, and she lived to inspire them.
Jessi's most notable dream was to become the fastest woman on Earth, a dream she had been
chasing since 2012.
Combs was one of the rare dreamers with the bravery to turn those possibilities into reality,
and she left this earth driving faster than any other woman in history."
On August 24th, 2019, a few days before her death, Combs tweeted a picture of the jet
car as she prepared for the attempt.
The caption on the photo read:
"It may seem a little crazy to walk directly into the line of fire… those who are willing,
are those who achieve great things.
People say I'm crazy.
I say thank you."
Jessi Combs, who held the title of "the fastest woman on 4-wheels," broke the 398 mph barrier
in 2013 and "made a 483.227 mph shakedown run" in 2018 before mechanical problems ended
her attempt, according to her North American Eagle racing team bio.
The bio also attributes her love of racing to the adventurous nature of her upbringing.
The site explains:
"Her family explored everything around them and gave her a solid appreciation for off-roading
as well as racing in many forms.
[...] She is an independent and adventurous spirit, boasting, 'I will try everything at
least twice…
I wouldn't want to be jaded by the first attempt.'"
Terry Madden, Combs' boyfriend and a member of her racing team, was first on the scene
and confirmed her death on Instagram.
He wrote in part:
"So I don't know how to say any of this but it all needs said.
I have never loved or been loved by anyone as much as this amazing woman [...] she was
truly my unicorn and I enjoyed every single minute that I had with her.
She was the most amazing spirit that I have ever or will ever know."
Madden went on to say that Combs is the subject of an upcoming documentary and asked fans
to donate to her foundation to quote, "make her legacy live on properly."
He added that he and her family would have the "proper channels put together" to make
sure fans' donations don't go to "some a------- profiting off" Combs' death.
As news of Combs' untimely death broke, her former MythBusters castmates and fellow peers
rushed to social media to offer their condolences and remember the fallen star.
Adam Savage, the former co-host of MythBusters, tweeted:
"I'm so so sad, Jessi Combs has been killed in a crash.
She was a brilliant & [top]-notch builder, engineer, driver, fabricator, and science
communicator, & strove everyday to encourage others by her prodigious example.
She was also a colleague, and we are lesser for her absence."
MythBusters' Kari Byron also tweeted:
"So sad to hear about Jessi.
She was a badass.
Always pushing limits.
Sending smiles into the universe for her."
Richard Ray Rawlings of Discovery's Garage Rehab tweeted,
"She lost her life doing what she loved, attempting to beat her own land-speed record.
She's always been a good friend since the Overhaulin days and I can't believe she's
gone.
RIP Jessi, Fastest Woman on Four Wheels."
Even former late night host Jay Leno, with whom Combs had once appeared on Jay Leno's
Garage, tweeted his condolences, saying:
"In memory of the fastest woman on four wheels.
Your memory lives on."