Performer Dies in Airshow Accident

Shockwave Jet Truck performer Chris Darnell was killed over the weekend in an event in Michigan.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, July 05, 2022 at 12:16 PM ET

Verified

Darnell was driving the Shockwave Jet Truck at the time of the accident. [Courtesy: Shockwave]

Key Takeaways:

Chris Darnell, driver of the Shockwave Jet Truck, was fatally killed in an accident during a performance at the Field of Flight Air Show in Battle Creek, Michigan.
The accident occurred during a high-speed stunt, with a suspected mechanical failure, specifically a rear tire failure, causing the truck to spin out, flip, and burst into flames.
Darnell, 40, was an experienced jet truck driver who shared performance duties with his father, Neal Darnell, who confirmed his son's death.

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An airshow stunt involving a jet truck and pyrotechnics went terribly wrong Saturday in Michigan, killing the truck’s driver, Chris Darnell. A mechanical failure is suspected as the cause of the accident.

Darnell, 40, was driving the Shockwave Jet Truck at the Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival in Battle Creek, Michigan, when the accident happened. The act calls for the truck, traveling in excess of 300 mph, to race a jet down the runway.