NASCAR driver Bobby East killed in stabbing at California gas station

“The victim was found on the ground suffering from a serious stab wound to the chest area,” the Westminster Police Department wrote in a news release. “Officers attempted life saving measures until OCFA paramedics arrived and transported the victim to a local trauma center, where the victim succumbed to his injury.”

East was not identified by authorities, but the United States Auto Club confirmed in a news release that the driver was killed. Deadline also reported that East was the one fatally stabbed.

Police announced that Trent William Millsap, 27, was a suspect in the stabbing. Millsap, who has an outstanding parole warrant, fled the scene as authorities arrived on the scene, according to police.

“He should be considered armed and dangerous,” police said, describing Millsap as a transient who is “known to frequent Westminster, Garden Grove, and Anaheim motels.”

On Friday, police said in news release that an officer-involved shooting took place at an Anaheim apartment where the West County SWAT team responded to serve a warrant for Millsap. It’s unclear whether Millsap was arrested or killed. No officers were injured, but a police K-9 sustained a single gunshot wound that was not life-threatening, according to authorities.

Born Dec. 17, 1984, in Torrance, Calif., East was the son of USAC Hall of Fame car builder Bob East. He later moved to Brownsburg, Ind., to pursue his career in racing, according to USAC.

The auto club hailed East, a three-time USAC national champion driver, as “one of the most prolific drivers of his era.” East captured 56 career USAC-sanctioned feature victories during the course of his career. He competed in dozens of races for NASCAR as part of its Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series between 2005 and 2008, according to racing news site Frontstretch.

The auto racing world took to social media to mourn the loss of East.

“He was one heck of a wheelman,” tweeted Todd Bodine, a two-time NASCAR champion and analyst for Fox Sports.

Charles Krall, who worked with East during his career, recounted how much he loved seeing the driver race.

“In an open wheel car, there was no one better,” Krall wrote.