Yesterday, while attempting to beat her own land speed record, the 52,000 horsepower jet-powered car driven by racer, fabricator, and television personality Jessi Combs crashed in the Alvord Desert in Oregon, killing her, as local news reports.
Combs was 39 years old and held the title of “fastest woman on four wheels” after breaking 398 mph in that same North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger in 2013.
Just a few days ago, Combs tweeted a picture of her and the jet car as they prepared for this most recent speed record attempt:.
Combs’ death was confirmed this morning on Instagram by Terry Madden, a member of Combs’ team:.
Combs was on television frequently, appearing on Overhaulin’, All Girls Garage, and even served as a host of Mythbusters.
Jessi is known for her hosting work on television series including “All Girls Garage”, “Overhaulin’ “, Extreme 4x4 and Autoblog’s “The List”.
ET: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Jessi was born in 1983, not 1980. »