Holland man killed in mud bog crash

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WOOD/WSBT) - A Holland man died in a mud bog crash in South Bend, Ind. on Saturday evening.

It happened at the Summer Thunder Mud Bog event at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds, according to WSBT and WNDU.

Family members confirmed to 24 Hour News 8 that Steve DeLeeuw, a partner at DeLeeuw Lumber in Holland, did not survive the crash. He was 48.

DeLeeuw was a long-time mud bog racer who had recently returned to the race track after a hiatus, his family said. Saturday night was the first time he made a run in a new vehicle.

"He just had a fire for it again, a real fire," his son, Luke DeLeeuw, told 24 Hour News 8.

As DeLeeuw made a fast run, WSBT reported, his vehicle skimmed across a mud pit and his his rear tires, which were the ones equipped with brakes, left the ground.

DeLeeuw's vehicle then rolled when he tried to turn to avoid concrete barriers at the end of the track, the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Department told WSBT. The car hit the barrier, flipped and landed on a chain-link fence.

DeLeeuw had to be extricated from the vehicle and was declared dead on the way to a hospital, WSBT reported.

His 15-year-old son Luke was in the audience the night of the crash.

"I just asked the tech officials, 'Can I please go down there and hold his hand just in case he doesn't make it?'" recalled Luke. "And he said, 'You know what, sorry. We can't. ...They know what they're doing.'"

WSBT reported that the exact cause of the crash isn't yet known, but authorities are inspecting the vehicle for any mechanical problems.

WNDU viewer video provides audio from the event announcer about DeLeeuw and his vehicle just before the crash:

Another video shows what happened in the moments after the crash:

Family said DeLeeuw was the youngest of 13 siblings. They recalled him as a devoted father, brother and uncle who played and worked hard. They said he was a tough competitor who got along well with other racers.

DeLeeuw leaves behind his wife and two sons.

------

24 Hour News 8's Leon Hendrix contributed to this report.