(WXIN) – Three-time United States Auto Club (USAC) national champion and former NASCAR driver Bobby East died Wednesday in California after a stabbing at a gas station, according to police and media outlets familiar with the situation.
Police in Westminster, California, said they responded to a report of a stabbing that came in just after 5:51 p.m. PST Wednesday. When officers arrived, they located the victim on the ground suffering from a serious stab wound.
“Officers attempted life saving measures until [Orange County Fire Authority] paramedics arrived and transported the victim to a local trauma center, where the victim succumbed to his injury,” reads a statement from the Westminster Police Department.
Police have identified the suspect as Trent William Millsap. He is described as a white male, 6 feet 5 inches tall, bald, tattoos on his head, face, neck, chest, arms, and hands.
Police said earlier this week that Millsap, who was still at large at the time, was believed to be armed and dangerous.
TMZ reported Saturday that Millsap was shot and killed during a raid on his Anaheim apartment on Friday, citing law enforcement sources familiar with the situation.
East, who was 37 years old, had raced in 42 NASCAR national touring races between 2005 and 2008.
The USAC confirmed East’s death in a report published Friday, calling him one of the most prolific drivers of his era.