Jessi Combs. (Photo Courtesy of Landspeed.com)
FIELDS, Ore. – Off-road racer and television personality Jessi Combs was killed Tuesday after crashing while making a land-speed record attempt in Southeastern Oregon.
Combs was driving a jet-powered land speed car when the accident occurred in the Alvord Desert. She was gunning to break her own land-speed record, set at the same site in 2013 after she recorded runs of nearly 393 mph in the 52,000 horsepower North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger.
In 2016, Alvord cracked the 440-mph threshold, and she recorded a 483.227 mph shakedown run in Alvord last year before mechanical issues forced the abandonment of that session.
Tuesday’s crash remains under investigation, and while the Harney County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately release the victim’s identity, Combs’ partner and team member Terry Madden posted a confirmation of her death via Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
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 @thejessicombs 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. Unfortunately we lost her yesterday in a horrific accident, I was the first one there and trust me we did everything humanly possible to save her!! I’m not ok, but she is right here keeping my going-I made her a promise that if this didn’t go well that I would make sure and do good with it, please help me with that, you are all going to see things on news please believe non of them.. we the family have drafted a release and it will come out today with more proper info, but I was just woke up by the media tracking me down and I need everyone of her true friends to do what she would want “take a deep breath, relax” and do good things with this. Please donate to nothing, I know there will be people try, we are finishing the documentary as she wished and the world will know the truth and her foundation will use those funds to do amazing things in this world and make her legacy live on properly. In the coming days her family and I will get the proper channels put together that you can then donate to that foundation but until you hear it from me wait please-I don’t want some asshole profiting off this (all ready had one try to sell us a video)… . . Love you all and thank you all for being such amazing friends to her, she dedicated her life to helping support others dreams and I promise I will continue that.
A post shared by Terry L. Madden (@terry_madden) on Aug 28, 2019 at 5:51am PDT
In addition to her land-speed exploits, Combs was a respected off-road racer, known as the first female to place at King of the Hammers. She also boasted a Class 10 podium at the Baja 1000.
Away from the race track, Combs was a host, builder and technical consultant on TV shows including Xtreme 4×4, Overhaulin’, All Girls Garage and Mythbusters.
