Police in Dover, Del., are investigating a domestic violence case involving NASCAR driver Kurt Busch. Cops said they were getting "numerous media inquiries" about the driver, and in response released the following statement:
The Dover Police Department can confirm that an investigation is being conducted based on an allegation of domestic assault that is alleged to have occurred in the City of Dover involving Mr. Busch. These allegations were brought to the Dover Police Department on Wednesday, November 5th at 2:00PM. At this time, the department is still investigating the victim's claims and will not have any further comment on this matter in order to preserve the integrity of the case. The Dover Police Department will release further information as it becomes available. We appreciate the public's and media's patience in this matter and are confident that the department is taking the proper investigative steps to ensure the case is resolved appropriately.
NASCAR also released a statement, saying it's aware of the investigation and "actively gathering information from all parties, including law enforcement authorities and Stewart-Haas Racing." Stewart-Haas chimed in, too, saying, "This is an allegation Stewart-Haas Racing takes very seriously, but we're still gathering all of the facts."
Busch's ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll, said the allegations are connected to an incident that happened at Busch's motorhome at Dover International Speedway in September, the Associated Press reported. At the time, they had been broken up about a week. TMZ reported that Driscoll told investigators Busch choked her. Busch isn't in the Chase this year; he was eliminated after the Dover race.
Driscoll is president of the Armed Forces Foundation, a nonprofit that says it works to "protect and promote the physical, mental, and emotional wellness of military service members, veterans, and their families." The foundation announced today that it had "suspended its association" with Busch.
Update: Busch's lawyer, Rusty Hardin, released the following statement: "This allegation is a complete fabrication by a woman who has refused to accept the end of a relationship and Mr. Busch vehemently denies her allegations in every respect."
Image via Associated Press