Ice Road Truckers star Darrell Ward killed in plane crash while heading ‘to film new show on recovery of aircraft wrecks’
The reality TV star was headed to Missoula, Montana when his plane went down in Texas
THE star of Channel 5’s reality show “Ice Road Truckers” died in a plane crash on Sunday while on his way to film a pilot for a documentary.
Darrell Ward, 52, was headed to Missoula, in Montana, US, after stopping by Dallas to begin filming his new show on the recovery of plane wrecks.
His plane crashed killing both himself and his co-pilot near Interstate 90 in Texas.
Ward’s family said in a statement: “While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief.
“Trucking has always been a large part of Darrell’s life; from running the harvest rigs with his grandparents and family, to driving trucks from Montana to Alaska and all roads in between.”
Ward, whose personal motto was “Any road, any load,” rose to fame on “Ice Road Truckers” – a show that chronicles the extreme and often dangerous lives of the truckers who haul cargo to remote communities.
He became a fan favourite over the course of his four seasons on the docuseries, well known for his fearlessness, and for lending a hand to fellow truckers in need.
In the UK, the latest series had around 900,000 viewers per episode.
The cause of the wreck remains under investigation.
Ryan Dunster, Missoula County sheriff’s deputy, said that the plane was making an approach when the accident occurred.
The National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the incident.
Ward had recently promoted a food drive to help victims in the Louisiana Floods and was scheduled to appear as the grand marshal for the Truck Convoy for Special Olympics in Nova Scotia, Canada.