A senior account manager for 23XI Racing, the NASCAR team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, was arrested following an incident at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina that left an elderly man seriously injured.
Evanna Howell, 23, faces one count of assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury after allegedly striking a 77-year-old man with a golf cart on Saturday, according to The California Post. The incident occurred at the famed racing venue when Howell was reportedly driving the golf cart in the wrong direction.
Police say Howell swung the golf cart around, hit a curb, pushed the elderly man into a fence, and ran him over. The victim was transported to a local hospital after suffering several serious injuries.
Howell was booked into jail wearing a black hoodie bearing the 23XI Racing logo, according to her mug shot. She was released from custody on Tuesday after posting a $125,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on June 16.
NASCAR announced that Howell has been indefinitely suspended from the organization. The racing body did not provide additional details about the suspension or its duration.
23XI Racing, which fields competitive entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, was founded by basketball legend Michael Jordan and veteran NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin. The team has become a prominent presence in the sport since its establishment, representing a significant investment by Jordan in motorsports.
The incident at Charlotte Motor Speedway raises questions about the circumstances that led to the collision and whether additional safety measures or protocols were in place at the time. The investigation remains ongoing as the case proceeds through the court system.