Is Tony Stewart Responsible for Kevin Ward Jr.'s Death?

Is Tony Stewart responsible for Kevin Ward Jr.'s death? That's the question that everyone will be trying to answer in the coming days.

A racecar driver and a friend of Ward's who was there says he doesn't believe Stewart intentionally hit Ward...but he thinks Stewart should accept a big share of the responsibility for what happened.

Quote, "You never mean to do something like that. Kevin was pissed and he let Tony know. And Tony was trying to give the message back that he wasn't happy either. He went over the line with it." (You can read more from him, here.)

Ward's family has also released a statement, but it sounds like they don't want to rush to judgment yet. They just said, quote, "We appreciate the prayers and support we are receiving from the community, but we need time to grieve and wrap our heads around all of this."

To me, it comes down to this: Ward should have NEVER walked out on the track like that. But if Stewart purposely sped up to "send him a message", then he's just as responsible.

(For what it's worth, Deadspin.com has a rundown of several times when Stewart's temper has resulted in conflicts with other drivers.)

WARNING: This video is graphic in nature.