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TV Host Jessi Combs Was Reportedly Close to Dying in Accident 12 Years Ago before Car Crash Death
On Tuesday, “Mythbusters” star and race driver Jessi Combs passed away after being involved in a car accident. A little known fact about her was that she almost died 12 years ago.
The accident that took Jessi Combs’ life this week wasn’t the first time that the professional race driver had put her life on the line for her work. According to her website, the star almost died in 2007.
Back then, Combs nearly lost her life in a similar freak accident. At the time, she was in the studio for “XTreme 4×4” when she was “folded in two” by a large piece of machinery that fell on of her.
COMBS ALMOST DIED 12 YEARS AGO
She fractured her spine’s L3 and she was expected to need the use of a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Instead, she had surgery, bed rest, and therapy for eight months.
The star was then “granted full medical release.” Combs was so thankful that she had survived and healed that the following year she had a career change.
So sad to hear about Jessi. She was a badass. Always pushing limits. Sending smiles into the universe for her. @mythbusters https://t.co/H2gEtN5U0e
— Kari Byron (@KariByron) August 28, 2019
She appeared in a number of television shows until she joined the seventh season of “Mythbusters.” Tragically, she wasn’t so lucky on Tuesday.
HOW THE RACE DRIVER DIED
Combs, 39, passed away after being involved in a crash in Oregon. On Wednesday, the Harney County Sheriff’s Office confirmed her death.
I’m so so sad, Jessi Combs has been killed in a crash. She was a brilliant & too-notch builder, engineer, driver, fabricator, and science communicator, & strove everyday to encourage others by her prodigious example. She was also a colleague, and we are lesser for her absence.
— Adam Savage (@donttrythis) August 28, 2019
The police received a call at around 4 p.m. on the day with someone reporting that a jet car had attempted to break a land speed record. The professional race driver was identified and pronounced dead on the scene.
The vehicle crashed in the Alvord Desert in southeastern Oregon while the driver was trying to beat a land speed record. So far, the reason for the crash hasn’t been revealed by authorities.
So sorry to hear about Jessi. She was a talented builder and host, and above all, a go-getter. https://t.co/y2zgQZyOCo
— Grant Imahara (@grantimahara) August 28, 2019
COMBS' COLLEAGUES MOURN HER DEATH
Combs’ “Mythbusters” colleagues have shared tributes to her on social media. On Twitter, host Kari Byron wrote: “So sad to hear about Jessi” adding “Always pushing limits.”
The late star had filled in for Byron on season 7 when she was on maternity leave. Adam Savage and former “Mythbuster” star Grant Imahara all paid their respects on Twitter.
On Instagram, Combs’ team member and boyfriend Terry Madden revealed he was the first person on the scene and had taken every measure possible to save her life. In a statement, the Combs’ family remembered her “bright smile, positivity, and tenacious pursuit of the fulfillment of her dreams.”
Savage also honored the late star by marveling at her ability to navigate an industry that was often filled with men. He added: "She was a valued colleague on 'Mythbusters,' and an excellent science communicator."
The co-host noted that they were now "poorer for her loss."
