Texas Drag Racer Kills 2 Kids, Injures 8 People After Crashing Into Spectators

By Jess Smith Oct 25 2021, 03:59 AM EDT

FORT WORTH, TX - JULY 08: Drivers drag race down pit road during the Friday Night Drags Presented By SCION at Texas Motor Speedway on July 8, 2011 in Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images for TMS)

A 6-year-old boy and an 8-year-old boy were killed in the crash Saturday afternoon after a drag race driver lost control and slammed into a crowd of spectators during a racing event on an airport runway in Texas, authorities said.

2 Dead, 8 Injured in Texas Racing Event

According to Fort Wayne NBC, Kerrville police said in a news release that the 2 kids were killed in the crash at an event called "Airport Race Wars 2" at the Kerrville-Kerr County Airport. The organized event was attended by thousands of spectators and fans who were entertained by drivers speeding down a runway as they competed for cash.

Aside from the two kids, the crash injured eight other individuals.

Based on the statement of Kerrville police, the drag race driver lost control and left the runway. The vehicle then crashed into parked vehicles, striking spectators who were observing the races.

Meanwhile, the injured victims were taken to various hospitals. A 46-year-old woman was listed in critical condition due to the impact of the crash. The majority of the other injuries were believed to be not life-threatening, but the condition of a 26-year-old man who was listed under injured individuals was unknown, authorities said.

Also, a 4-year-old boy and a 3-month-old girl were taken to a hospital for precautionary evaluations.

Authorities have not released the identities of the two kids killed at the event. The racing was set around 60 miles or 97 kilometers northwest of San Antonio, Texas.

Moreover, the Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau's website promoted the event as an "action-packed, family-friendly day." The group highlighted that the event could give fans the chance to watch the fastest drag cars compete for over $8000 in total prizes.

Witness Shares Experience During Texas Drag Race Accident

A freelance journalist who was at the event, Louis Amestoy, estimated that there were at least 3,500 individuals who attended the racing event.

In addition, Amestoy said that the race was an eighth of a mile or 0.2 kilometers long, and water-filled plastic barriers lined the course, protecting the crowd from possible accidents.

However, Amestoy said they did not extend the barriers past the finish line, leaving no protection between spectators and cars as they were slowing down at the end of the race.

During his phone interview with The Associated Press, Amestoy shared that the event organizers reminded people to stay in the grass and off the asphalt. He added that the organizers stated that spectators could get within about 15 feet (4.6 meters) of the track, and many fans watched the race from lawn chairs in the absence of stands on the site.

Furthermore, Amestoy shared that the driver was nearing the end of the strip when the car veered off course.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

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