Local News
NASCAR Driver Greg Biffle, His Wife and Children Reportedly Killed in Plane Crash at Statesville Regional Airport
UPDATE: Garrett Mitchell confirmed to Channel2 NOW that Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma and their son Ryder were aboard the aircraft, as they were traveling to spend the afternoon with him. He expressed deep devastation over the incident.
Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, along with his wife Cristina Biffle and their two children, 14-year-old daughter Emma and 5-year-old son Ryder, were killed Thursday in a plane crash at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina, according to a statement posted on social media by U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.).
The family was traveling aboard a Cessna C550 business jet, tail number N257BW, which crashed shortly after takeoff while en route to the Bahamas via Sarasota, Florida.
Federal aviation records show the aircraft is owned by GB Aviation Leasing LLC, a company owned by Biffle.
โI am devastated by the loss of Greg, Cristina, and their children, and my heart is with all who loved them,โ Hudson wrote. โThey were friends who lived their lives focused on helping others. Greg was a great NASCAR champion who thrilled millions of fans, but he was also an extraordinary person who will be remembered for his service to others as much as for his fearlessness on the track.โ
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the Cessna C550 crashed at approximately 10:20 a.m. Eastern Time.
An official with the Iredell County Sheriffโs Office said the aircraft went down shortly after departing the airport around 10 a.m.
Sheriff Grant Campbell confirmed earlier in the day that the crash resulted in fatalities but initially did not release the identities of those on board or the number of occupants.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation, with assistance from the FAA. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
Video from the scene showed first responders rushing onto the runway, where flames were visible near scattered aircraft debris.
Witnesses at the nearby Lakewood Golf Club said the aircraft was flying unusually low moments before the crash. Several golfers reported dropping to the ground as the jet passed overhead, with debris later found near the ninth hole.
โWe were like, โOh my gosh, thatโs way too low,โโ Joshua Green of Mooresville told The Associated Press. โIt was scary.โ
Biffle, 55, was widely respected not only for his racing achievements but also for his humanitarian efforts. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene last year, he used his personal helicopter to fly hundreds of rescue and supply missions across western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, delivering food, fuel, medical supplies, and communications equipment to isolated communities.
Biffle publicly recounted one rescue mission in which he located a stranded family after they reflected sunlight with a mirror from the bottom of a steep canyon. He described making multiple difficult landing attempts to deliver essential supplies, including insulin, EpiPens, fuel, and food.
โThe last time I spoke with Cristina, just a couple of weeks ago, she reached out to ask how she could help with relief efforts in Jamaica,โ Hudson wrote. โThatโs who the Biffles were.โ
Greg Biffle enjoyed a distinguished NASCAR career, earning:
- 19 NASCAR Cup Series victories, including six wins in 2005, when he finished second in the championship standings
- 20 Xfinity Series wins, along with the 2002 series championship
- 17 Craftsman Truck Series victories, capturing the 2000 championship
He also won the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway three consecutive times from 2004 to 2006. Biffle stepped away from full-time competition in 2016 before returning to racing six years later.
Statesville Regional Airport, where the crash occurred, serves corporate aviation operations and is frequently used by Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams, according to airport officials.
โOur prayers are with their family, friends, and everyone grieving this unimaginable loss,โ Hudson said.
The investigation into the crash remains ongoing, and authorities are expected to release additional information as it becomes available.
Local News
Jimmy Brooks Killed in Wrong-Way Tesla Crash on I-26 in Buncombe County, Driver Bradley Vance Charged
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. โ Jimmy Lee Brooks, 42, of Leicester, North Carolina, died after a wrong-way Tesla crash involving three vehicles on Interstate 26 near Asheville on Thursday afternoon, October 22, 2026.
Several other people were injured in the collision, and the Tesla driver has been charged in connection with the fatal crash.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Bradley Vance Lanier, 54, of Taylors, South Carolina, was driving a Tesla westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-26 near Exit 37 when the vehicle struck a Honda SUV head-on before colliding with a Honda passenger car.
Brooks was a passenger in the Honda passenger car. He was transported to Mission Hospital in Asheville, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said troopers responded to the crash at approximately 2:30 p.m. Thursday near mile marker 37 on eastbound I-26.
According to the agency’s statement, the Tesla entered the interstate traveling west in the eastbound lanes near Exit 37, also associated with Long Shoals Road. The vehicle first struck a Honda SUV head-on and then collided with a Honda passenger car.
A trooper from a neighboring county arrived shortly after the collision and began providing assistance to a passenger inside the Honda passenger car.
The car’s driver and two passengers were transported to Mission Hospital with serious injuries. Brooks was among the passengers and later died at the hospital. Authorities said the conditions of the other occupants were not immediately known.
The driver of the Honda SUV was also taken to Mission Hospital with minor injuries and was later released.
Lanier, the driver of the Tesla, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Mission Hospital before being released, according to the Highway Patrol.
Troopers subsequently charged him with four offenses:
- Driving while impaired (DWI)
- Felony death by vehicle
- Felony serious injury
- Reckless driving
Following his release from the hospital, Lanier was taken to the Buncombe County Detention Facility, where he was being held on a $5 million secured bond, according to the agency’s statement.
The charges are allegations, and the case will proceed through the court system. The official statement does not establish a conviction.
Interstate 26 was closed for approximately two hours while troopers investigated the collision and documented the scene.
The investigation centers on the circumstances that led the Tesla to travel in the wrong direction on the eastbound side of the interstate and the subsequent collisions involving the two Honda vehicles.
Authorities have not released the current medical conditions of all the injured occupants.
The fatal crash claimed the life of Brooks, a Leicester resident, and left several other people requiring hospital treatment.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is investigating the collision. Further information about the case may be released as the investigation and legal proceedings continue.