MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Dale Earanhardt, Jr. has made his first public statement since surviving a fiery plane crash last week.

The famed former NASCAR driver and his wife were on a private jet Thursday that crashed into a fence at the end of a runway upon landing at Elizabethton Municipal Airport in east Tennessee.

Earnhardt said his family was “truly blessed that all on board escaped with no serious injuries, including our daughter, our two pilots and our dog Gus.” He also thanked his “pilots, local law enforcement, emergency personnel and hospital staff” for their quick response.

Earnhardt spent a few hours at a hospital before he was released.

A current racing analyst, Earnhardt was excused from the broadcast of Saturday’s NASCAR Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway.