Harness Driver Dies at 27 Following Accident During Horse Race in Pennsylvania

A 27-year-old father has died after a harness racing accident in Pennsylvania, according to reports.

Hunter Myers, a harness driver, was participating in a race at the Meadows in Washington on Wednesday, March 19 when he was injured during an accident involving six horses, according to NBC affiliate WPXI. The driver later died of his injuries, according to CBS News, WPXI and ABC affiliate WTAE. 

The deadly crash occurred during the 11th race after it appeared a horse broke its stride, resulting in a chain collision, officials told WPXI. Myers was airlifted to a hospital in Pittsburgh in critical condition, according to the outlet. 

“My whole world, my best friend, the love of my life & the best daddy ever,” his fiancée, Chloe Fisher, who shares a son with Myers, wrote in a Facebook post after his death on Thursday, March 20. “I truly don't even have the words.”

In a joint statement, Hollywood Casino at The Meadows and the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association called the accident “tragic.” They also expressed their “sincere condolences and heartfelt prayers” for Myer’s fiancée and their son.  

“Hunter was a rising star in our industry,” they said per a joint Facebook post on Thursday. “The Meadows racing community, and the entire harness racing industry, are deeply saddened by this tragic event.” 

The association and local fire department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

“We're all in a daze," Michelle Venneri, a horse groomer at the Meadows who worked with Myers, told WTAE. "You feel like you lost a family member. Rest in peace, Hunter; we love you. We're going to miss you, really going to miss you."

For Fisher, she’ll never forgot Myers’ ritual of saying goodbye. “You never left without giving me 3 kisses and then texting me 'I love you' before you got down the driveway,” she wrote on Facebook. She recalled how Myers would tell their son, Hayden, "Bye, baby, I love you” with kisses until he “belly laughed.”

“I’m so blessed & thankful for all the love you gave me & our baby boy,” she continued. “I know you’d tell me [to] stay strong & I got this. I’ll raise our little boy to be just like you.”

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On Thursday, the association announced that it was hosting a grief support session for those struggling with Myers’ death. “Our racing community has suffered an unimaginable loss,” the association wrote on Facebook. “Hunter Myers was a daily part of many of our lives.”

CBS News reported that Myers will be honored at the Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, March 22, where the horses will be given green ribbons, representing Myers’ racing colors.

Additionally, a GoFundMe has also been set up to support Myers' family and has raised over $19,700 as of Friday, March 21.