Tony Stewart's random acts of kindness are getting to be commonplace.
Whether they have any correlation with the tragic death of Kevin Ward Jr. is unclear.
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Stewart donated his private jet to Wilson's family so they could travel to Lehigh Valley Health Network Cedar Crest Hospital in Allentown, Pa., to be with driver Justin Wilson as he lay in critical condition following a crash during an IndyCar race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.
Wilson died Monday as a result of a piece of debris from fellow driver Sage Karam during Sunday's ABC Supply 500 race flying through the air and striking Wilson on the helmet. His race car veered left after he was struck and hit the inner wall.
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Wilson was taken by helicopter to Lehigh Valley, where he was pronounced in a coma Sunday evening.
News of Stewart's generosity came from a tweet by IndyCar driver Graham Rahal.
.@TonyStewart, you’re a hell of a man for donating your plane for JWs family. Hats off to you, you’re a very generous human being! — Graham Rahal (@GrahamRahal) August 24, 2015
Beccy Hunter-Reay, wife of the ABC Supply 500 winner Ryan, also tweeted her thanks to Stewart.
. @TonyStewart words can't describe how thankful the @IndyCar community is for your generosity in helping JWs family. #RacingFamily thanks u— Beccy Hunter-Reay (@BeccyGordon) August 24, 2015
Stewart is facing a wrongful death lawsuit from Ward's family in connection with the Aug. 9, 2014 tragedy, in which the right wheel of Stewart's sprint car struck Ward as he walked toward Stewart's car in the middle of a dirt-track race.
The impact flung Ward into the air and back into the track surface. He was pronounced dead 45 minutes later, according to ESPN.com.
Ward's family is seeking more than $75,000 in damages, according to The Associated Press.
Even since Ward's family filed the lawsuit on Aug. 7, the 44-year-old Stewart has helped in the tragedy of two families.
On Aug. 13, Stewart overheard a conversation in which a family's three children -- boys ages 10, 13 and 16 -- were killed when another vehicle crashed into the car they were in. He gave a friend of the family $1,400 on the spot to give to the family of the victims.
Even though he has protested his innocence in the Ward matter, Stewart has said the tragedy will stay with him the rest of his life. His recent generosity may reflect a newfound appreciation for the value of life and family -- or at least be an extension of an already-existing belief.
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