Jason Leffler autopsy: driver died of blunt force neck injury

Jason Leffler died from a blunt force neck injury in his sprint car wreck Wednesday night, the Delaware County (Pa.) medical examiner has determined.

Leffler apparently had a mechanical failure in his 410 sprint car and hit the wall at least twice and then flipped at Bridgeport Speedway, the 0.625-mile banked short track in Swedesboro, N.J. The 37-year-old Leffler, a former Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series driver, was pronounced dead in the Crozer Chester Medical Center emergency room at 9:02 p.m. ET, 32 minutes after the accident.

An autopsy was performed Thursday to determine the cause of death. The New Jersey State Police, which licenses racetracks in the state, is still conducting its investigation into the accident. The results could come as early as next week.

Leffler was wearing a Simpson Hybrid head-and-neck restraint system, which is approved by NASCAR.

The track, like most local short tracks, does not have a SAFER Barrier on the walls around the track. Leffler was driving a car that likely could reach 160 mph at the track, although he probably wasn’t going that fast at the time of the accident, which occurred in Turn 4.

Funeral arrangements are pending for Leffler, the single father of a 5-year-old son Charlie Dean.