A Rimrock resident who was attempting to break a land speed record died in a crash Tuesday afternoon in Oregon. Jessi Combs, 36, was in her reconfigured F-104 jet, called the North American Eagle, on the Alvord dry lake when her jet crashed just before 4 p.m., killing her. Combs was named the “Fastest Woman on 4 Wheels” in 2013 when she broke the women’s land speed record for going nearly 393 miles per hour in her jet vehicle.
Last year, she reached a speed of 483 miles per hour but had to end the test run early after a hydraulic door broke away on her vehicle. Combs was named Queen of the Hammers when she had a first-place finish at the 2016 King of the Hammers off-road race in Johnson Valley. She also competed in the Baja 1000. Combs was a guest host on “Mythbusters,” and also appeared on “Overhauling,” and “All Girls Garage.” Combs moved to the Morongo Basin about a year ago.
