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Culture August 29, 2019

'Mythbusters' cast struggling after death of Jessi Combs

WATCH: Extreme athlete Jessi Combs dies in car crash

Following the death of professional driver and TV host Jessica "Jessi" Combs, who was attempting to break a land speed record in Oregon, her "Mythbusters" cast members are grieving the loss of their dear friend.

Combs, 39, who held the title of "fastest woman on 4-wheels," was attempting to break her own record she set in 2013 with a top speed of 440 mph, according to her team's website.

(MORE: Professional driver and TV host Jessi Combs dies attempting to break land speed record in Oregon desert)

Her teammate Terry Madden was one of the first people to post about the loss of someone he called a "unicorn."

"I have never loved or been loved by anyone as much as this amazing woman @thejessicombs she was truly my unicorn and I enjoyed every single minute that I had with her. She was the most amazing spirit that I have ever or will ever know," Madden wrote on Instagram.

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So I don’t know how to say any of this but it all needs said. I have never loved or been loved by anyone as much as this amazing woman @thejessicombs she was truly my unicorn and I enjoyed every single minute that I had with her. She was the most amazing spirit that I have ever or will ever know. Unfortunately we lost her yesterday in a horrific accident, I was the first one there and trust me we did everything humanly possible to save her!! I’m not ok, but she is right here keeping my going-I made her a promise that if this didn’t go well that I would make sure and do good with it, please help me with that, you are all going to see things on news please believe non of them.. we the family have drafted a release and it will come out today with more proper info, but I was just woke up by the media tracking me down and I need everyone of her true friends to do what she would want “take a deep breath, relax” and do good things with this. Please donate to nothing, I know there will be people try, we are finishing the documentary as she wished and the world will know the truth and her foundation will use those funds to do amazing things in this world and make her legacy live on properly. In the coming days her family and I will get the proper channels put together that you can then donate to that foundation but until you hear it from me wait please-I don’t want some asshole profiting off this (all ready had one try to sell us a video)... . . Love you all and thank you all for being such amazing friends to her, she dedicated her life to helping support others dreams and I promise I will continue that.

A post shared by Terry L. Madden (@terry_madden) on

Combs' former "Mythbusters" co-stars memorialized her on social media, with Adam Savage writing, "She was a brilliant & too-notch builder, engineer, driver, fabricator, and science communicator, & strove everyday to encourage others by her prodigious example. She was also a colleague, and we are lesser for her absence."

PHOTO: Jessi Combs on Oct 8, 2013 in Alvord Desert, Oregon.
David Cohn/North American Eagle/ZumaPress.com/FILE
Jessi Combs on Oct 8, 2013 in Alvord Desert, Oregon.

I’m so so sad, Jessi Combs has been killed in a crash. She was a brilliant & too-notch builder, engineer, driver, fabricator, and science communicator, & strove everyday to encourage others by her prodigious example. She was also a colleague, and we are lesser for her absence.

— Adam Savage (@donttrythis) August 28, 2019

Kari Byron said Combs was always "pushing limits. Sending smiles into the universe for her."

Tory Belleci added, "Absolutely gutted to hear the news of @thejessicombs You’re a legend Jessi and I will miss you my friend."

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Absolutely gutted to hear the news of @thejessicombs You’re a legend Jessi and I will miss you my friend.

A post shared by Tory Belleci (@torybelleci) on

The show also shared a tribute about her extraordinary life.

Read more about the life and accomplishments of Jessi Combs. 1983 - 2019 https://t.co/oovCWn27hB

— MythBusters (@MythBusters) August 28, 2019

"The former Discovery star held a trailblazing career of firsts—the first woman to place at an Ultra 4 event and the first woman to compete in The Race of Gentleman. She became an Ultra 4 Spec Class National Champion in 2014 and later took first place in the 2016 King of the Hammers," Discovery Channel wrote about Combs.

In addition to "Mythbusters," Combs also co-hosted the Spike TV series "Xtreme 4X4," and appeared on "Overhaulin'," "All Girls Garage" and "The List: 1001 Car Things To Do Before You Die."