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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Jessica Gibb

Top Gear star Ken Block worried about 'sketchy snow' in haunting last posts before death

Former Top Gear star Ken Block, was worried about the "sketchy snow" in haunting posts shared before his tragic death.

The rally driver died at the age of 55 after a snowmobile accident at his ranch in Utah on Monday.

The Sheriff's Office said that Ken was riding on a steep slope when the snowmobile flipped over and landed on top of him.

Before the crash on Monday, Ken shared pictures of snowmobiles covered in "sketchy snow" on his Instagram story.

"Sketchy and snowy drive with some great snowboard entertainment," he wrote.

"There's a canamoffroad X3 under there somewhere," he added.

Top Gear star Ken Block worried about 'sketchy snow' in haunting final posts (kblock43/Instagram)
Ken Block took to Instagram to show fans the heavy snow in Utah (kblock43/Instagram)

Not deterred by the weather, he shared a picture of a row of parked snowmobiles and wrote: "Hell yeah!"

Block's devastated team, Honnigan Racing Division, shared the news of his death today saying "he will be incredibly missed".

"It's with our deepest regrets that we can confirm that Ken Block passed away in a snowmobile accident today," read a statement posted to Instagram.

"Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And, most importantly, a father and husband. He will be incredibly missed.

"Please respect the family's privacy at this time while they grieve."

Ken Block died at 55 after a snowmobile accident (Instagram)
The late action sports star began rallying in his native USA in 2005 (Getty Images for IMDb)

The Wasatch County Sheriff's Office, which attended the scene of the crash, also released a statement a short time later.

"On January 2, 2023 at approximately 2pm, the Wasatch County 911 Center received a call reporting a snowmobile accident in the Mill Hollow area," it read.

"Search and Rescue, along with law enforcement from Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office, Utah State Parks and the US Forest Service responded.

"The driver, Kenneth Block, 55-year-old male out of Park City, Utah, was riding a snowmobile on a steep slope when the snowmobile upended, landing on top of him.

"He was pronounced deceased at the scene from injuries sustained in the accident.

"Mr Block was riding with a group but was alone when the accident occurred. The State Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the official cause of death.

"We are saddened to hear of the loss of Kenneth and our hearts are with his family and friends so deeply affected. We thank all of our first responders for their continued service."

Block is survived by his wife Lucy and three children.

He appeared on two episodes of Top Gear in the UK (BBC)

The late action sports star began rallying in his native USA in 2005, initially in the Rally America series.

Within two years he was making cameos in the World Rally Championship, until he signed a deal with Ford to drive for what was initially known as the Monster World Rally Team.

His association with Ford led to Block competing in the Global Rallycross Championship with the team, which was rebranded as Hoonigan Racing Division in 2012.

Block finished second in the Global Rallycross Championship in 2015 before moving to the FIA World Rallycross Championship the following year.

Former Top Gear host Matt LeBlanc in a Ford Mustang in London with rally driver Ken Block (PA)

More recently he has continued to compete in US rallying, narrowly missing out on the 2022 title to Brandon Semenuk.

He became known to the UK audience when he appeared in two episodes of Top Gear.

He also co-founded the skating fashion brand DC Shoes in 1994 with his business partner Damon Way.

Tributes have begun to pour in following the tragic death of legendary rally driver.

Takamoto Katsuta, a driver for Red Bull penned: "I can’t believe today’s news. Big respect what you have done for the Motorsports around world. Rest In Peace Ken."

Rally car driver Karen Salvaggio also tweeted: "Can’t believe you are gone. In a blink of an eye. A legend, a father and husband. Will miss you so much".

Meanwhile, photographer Auditya Venkatesh added: "What a loss. Thank you for bringing a sense of speed and excitement to a whole generation #KenBlock."

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