'Mythbusters' star Jessi Combs dies at 36 while attempting land-speed record

Jessi Combs speaks at the 'Overhaulin' discussion panel during the Discovery Networks/Velocity portion of the 2012 Summer Television Critics Association tour at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 2, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. less Jessi Combs speaks at the 'Overhaulin' discussion panel during the Discovery Networks/Velocity portion of the 2012 Summer Television Critics Association tour at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 2, 2012 in Los ... more Photo: Frederick M. Brown Photo: Frederick M. Brown Image 1 of / 84 Caption Close 'Mythbusters' star Jessi Combs dies at 36 while attempting land-speed record 1 / 84 Back to Gallery

Jessi Combs, 36, died in a car crash on Tuesday. She was attempting to break her own land-speed record in the Alvord Desert in southeast Oregon, according to Road & Track. Combs held the title of “fastest woman on four wheels” and appeared on TV regularly as a builder and fabricator.



When she crashed, Combs was driving the same North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger in which she set the land-speed record back in 2013 at 398 mph (with a top-speed run of 440 mph), according to her website. The vehicle is a reconfigured F-104 jet with 52,000-horsepower and measures 56 feet long. She and her team were aiming to top 512 mph, the current Women’s Landspeed World record set in 1976 by Kitty O’Neil, to become the Fastest Woman on Earth.

Terry Madden, who is a member of Combs' team and was on the scene when she crashed, confirmed the news of her death. He shared a video and heartfelt post on Instagram.

In the caption, Madden said, "She was truly my unicorn and I enjoyed every single minute that I had with her. She was the most amazing spirit that I have ever or will ever know. Unfortunately we lost her yesterday in a horrific accident, I was the first one there and trust me we did everything humanly possible to save her!!"

Combs also competed in prestigious, long-distance off-road races, including the Baja 1000 in Baja California, Mexico and King of Hammers in the desert of Johnson Valley, California. In 2016, she earned another nickname, "Queen of Hammers," with a first place finish at the King of Hammers, per Ultra4Racing.

She returned to the same 13-mile course in the Oregon desert last year for a record attempt. She clocked a 483.227 mph shakedown run, however, mechanical problems ended the attempt before she could complete it with a second run.

In addition to racing, Combs created a line of women's welding gear and was a regular guest on "Overhaulin’," "All Girls Garage" and as a host on "Mythbusters."