Star of reality TV’s ‘Ice Road Truckers’ killed in plane crash

NEW YORK (Reuters) – One of the stars of “Ice Road Truckers,” a reality TV show about the hazards of driving the frozen highways of northern Canada and Alaska, was killed in a plane crash in Montana over the weekend, a spokeswoman for the History channel said on Monday.

Darrell Ward, 52, was flying to Missoula to begin filming a pilot episode about the recovery of plane wrecks for a new documentary-style show, according to his Facebook page.

“We are saddened by the tragic loss of Darrell Ward, a beloved member of the History family,” the channel said in a statement.”He will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.”

The co-pilot of the Cessna 182, 56-year-old Mark Melotz, was also killed when the plane crashed on the shoulder of Interstate 90 while trying to land at a nearby airstrip, according to local media. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

Ward had finished filming the 10th season of “Ice Road Truckers,” a show in which drivers haul cargo across dangerous frozen lakes and rivers to remote communities in Canada and Alaska.

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; Editing by Frank McGurty and Paul Simao)