Dale Earnhardt Jr. and family reported safe after plane crash

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. was taken to a hospital after his plane crashed in east Tennessee.

The NASCAR television analyst and former driver’s sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, tweeted that “everyone is safe and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation.”

WJHL reports that Earnhardt, his wife, Amy, daughter Isla, a pilot, one other person and a dog were on the plane. Injuries were reportedly limited to cuts and bruises.

Federal Aviation Administration officials said a Cessna Citation rolled off the end of a runway and caught fire after landing at Elizabethton Municipal Airport Thursday afternoon. FAA officials said five were aboard.

Carter County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Thomas Gray confirmed Earnhardt was aboard but said he wasn’t one of the pilots.

Earnhardt retired as a full-time racer in 2017 and has been working as an analyst for NBC. He is part of the scheduled broadcast team for Saturday night’s Cup Series event in Bristol, Tennessee.