Crime & Safety
Meadows Harness Racing Driver Dies After Accident: Latest Details
Considered a rising star in the sport of harness racing, Hunter Myers died a day after being involved in an accident at the Meadows.
WASHINGTON, PA — Tributes are pouring in for the harness racing driver who died Thursday after he was severely injured in an accident during a race a day earlier at the Holiday Casino at the Meadows.
Hunter Myers, 27, an Ohio native, was driving in the 11th race when he was injured in the accident involving six horses, according to a Facebook post from longtime track announcer Roger Houston. WJPA radio reported that Myers was thrown backward, apparently hitting his head on the track. He was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital where he later died.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office has yet to release an official cause of death.
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According to U.S. Trotting News, Myers won 2,450 races and $21.7 million in purses during his career and was a three-time finalist for the U.S. Harness Writers Association’s Rising Star Award.
“The tragic news about driver Hunter Myers’ passing saddens all of us at the USTA and throughout the industry,” the U.S. Trotting Association said in a statement. “The sport is in mourning."
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In a joint statement, Hollywood Casino at The Meadows and the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association said they "would like to pass along our most sincere condolences and heartfelt prayers to the family and friends of Hunter Myers, who passed away early (Thursday) morning after a tragic racing accident at The Meadows (Wednesday).
“Our thoughts and sympathy are with his fiancée, Chloe Fisher, and son, Hayden Myers, during this time.
“Hunter was a rising star in our industry. The Meadows racing community, and the entire harness racing industry, are deeply saddened by this tragic event.”
The Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame issued this statement:
"We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Hunter Myers, and send our thoughts and prayers to the entire Western Pennsylvania and Ohio harness racing communities as they navigate this tragic loss."
The Meadows Standardbred Owners Association has canceled racing at the Meadows for the remainder of the week.
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