Mechanical failure caused Sean Edwards' fatal crash in 2013

Published Feb. 5, 2016 1:00 p.m. ET

foxsports

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - A coronial inquest into the death of British racing driver Sean Edwards at an Australian speedway in 2013 has found that mechanical failure caused the accident.

Edwards, the son of ex-Formula One driver Guy Edwards, was in the passenger seat as an instructor for a private training session at Queensland Raceway near Brisbane when the 966 Porsche crashed into a barrier at high speed and caught fire.

Queensland state's deputy coroner John Lock delivered his findings Friday, ruling out human error or trainer error, saying the accident in October 2013 was caused by an unknown mechanical failure.

The driver, William Holzheimer, who as 20 at the time, sustained serious injuries to his head and body but survived.

Edwards was 26 and was the Supercup Championship leader at the time of his death.

He had been involved in director Ron Howard's movie "Rush" about the 1976 Formula One season. Guy Edwards was one of the drivers who helped pull Niki Lauda from his burning car during the 1976 German Grand Prix.