In the wee hours of Saturday morning, a crowd estimated at 50 strong gathered along the edge of Route 210 in Accokeek, Maryland to watch an organized though illegal drag race. As racers left the scene going north leaving behind a cloud of smoke, a white Ford Crown Victoria came from the south and drove through the crowd, killing eight and injuring numerous others. Authorities guess that the smoke and darkness concealed the group of people until it was too late for the driver of the Crown Vic, who has so far been charged with nothing (rightfully so), to react. The sedan's driver also escaped serious injury, but the incident proved fatal to the vehicle's passenger, as well as a few spectators, including a 61-year-old father.
Sadly, this horrific crash occurred some 25 miles from Maryland International Raceway, a quarter-mile drag strip. Had the competitors, who are still being sought, rented the track for their battle, all of those involved would have been spared their lives. It is a reminder that the safety measures in place at racing venues are there for everyone's benefit and protection. Public streets simply involve too many variables to control potential accidents.
The grieving families are in our thoughts as they deal with this difficult news. Thanks for the tip Melissa.
[Source: Yahoo News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
rogan @ Feb 18th 2008 12:40PM
Hold on, I'm not sure I'm getting this right..... Wouldn't the Crown Vic driver have some kind of fault if he just blindly drove into a cloud of smoke and hit people?
Big Rocket @ Feb 18th 2008 1:04PM
MSNBC: "Ron Gibbons is a visibility expert... We got a first-hand lesson from Gibbons on how to drive safely in fog... your instincts might tell you to slam on the brakes, after all you can't see where you're going. But gibbon's says that's wrong... Slamming on your brakes could initiate a pile-up, especially on a crowded expressway... Gibbons advises reducing your speed gradually, while tapping on your brakes. The intermittent brake lights will warn drivers behind you that you're only slowing down, not coming to a complete stop. So he warns, don't ride your brakes. Uninterrupted brake lights signal you're going to stop when your intention is to keep moving along slowly in traffic. This is the best way to prevent a chain reaction crash."
Link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6308811/
Tim @ Feb 18th 2008 2:10PM
No.
Zane @ Feb 18th 2008 12:41PM
Wow, slow news day, eh? This event occured more than 2 days ago.
Olivier @ Feb 18th 2008 12:43PM
I am thinking Darwin award for this one. Maybe for all these spectators sitting in tyre smoke, in the dark, inches from large pieces of steel travelling at high velocity with drunken drivers at the wheel.
The Grandpa with a broken leg sitting there gets extra points for making sure that if anything were to happen he would not be able to get away
Big Rocket @ Feb 18th 2008 12:46PM
CNN (Associated Press): "Police said a body found in the car was one of the spectators and not a passenger, as they had previously assumed."
Link:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/16/drag.race.deaths.ap/
Seoultrain @ Feb 18th 2008 1:11PM
ok, that makes more sense. I found it hard to believe that running through people was enough of a force to kill someone inside the car, even without seatbelts.
TorchC5 @ Feb 18th 2008 12:49PM
I don't think he should be at fault. The smoke was caused by illegal activity, and the spectators were participating in an illegal activity. It's sad that they lost their lives, but these people put themselves in danger as soon as they crowded a public road that law-abiding citizens use. I used to watch illegal street races years ago and I remember lines of people standing in the opposite lane, blocking opposing traffic because they wanted to get a better view of the races.
Allan @ Feb 18th 2008 12:50PM
I'm not sure you can really "blame" street racing for this one as much as you would sort of blame all of the people standing in the middle of the road in a cloud of tire smoke. Not that it's not a tragic accident and all... but still. The actual racing isn't necessarily to blame - though still very illegal and should be addressed.
Stuka @ Feb 18th 2008 12:53PM
I don't understand the need to street race. There are those that believe racing on a track isnt real racing. Which is probably what these people thought. Tracks are cheap to go to, there is no need for a street race when they are so close to a track.
pitranger @ Feb 18th 2008 2:04PM
While renting a track sounds like a good solution, has anyone ever tried it? I have, and you don't just run into an office and plunk down a fifty for the nite. There are permits to be had, a safety vehicle for the participants, ambulance and medical personnel on site for coverage, firetrucks, and employees for security and crowd control. Add to that issues of alcohol posession on premises and liability insurance. To even begin to "rent a track", you better have a lawyer for a contract, and about $50,000 for expenses. And that's for one event, and at a hole-in the wall track AT THAT. Now you know the "Rest of the story", so get off those high and mighty horses and get the facts before your lips flap.
Devin_mm @ Feb 26th 2008 2:38PM
@pitranger
So just because it's expensive and difficult means it's alright to illegaly street race? So if I follow that logic I should steal a Ferrari because it costs too much. Either rent a track, go to a track day, or don't bloody race.
Franz @ Feb 18th 2008 12:59PM
"...she saw the Crown Victoria approach without its lights on..."
"...Police could not confirm whether the car that struck the crowd had its lights on..."
I don't condone street racing, but if he really didn't have his lights on, and drove blindly into a cloud of smoke then he should bear some responsibility. Also, I don't know how the organizers of this race... obviously a big deal with that kind of a turnout... and they didn't think to watch for traffic? It's all a bit weird, but still: 8 lives were lost. Shame.
twisted99s10 @ Feb 18th 2008 1:23PM
based on posts in the mdstreetscene forum, the cars that were racing at the moment the event happened we near 8 sec. drag cars. they were not tuners or imports of any sort, but were actually race cars towed in for the event. as for the tire smoke excuse i think it is bull. i have gone to many races, street and strip, and i know that tire smoke doesn't hang at ground level for long before disappearing into the air, especially for something like a short burnout and launch.
Olivier @ Feb 18th 2008 1:29PM
In normal circumstances yes. But the Crown Vic happens to be a Police vehicule on hot pursuit of the 2fastandfurious2think. So no charges for the police driver
Jeremy @ Feb 18th 2008 1:32PM
If these people are dumb then everyone that stands 14 inches away from a rally course is at least equally stupid. At least these cars are trying to go straight unlike rally cars that drift around dirt tracks.
Jonny @ Feb 18th 2008 1:36PM
Renting a track is too expensive I believe
Maybe making the track free or inexpensive will prevent these stupid street races.
letstakeawalk @ Feb 18th 2008 1:49PM
How many competitors are you bringing? $1000, spread out amongst the group isn't bad. Then you can sell tickets, concessions, etc. To claim that track rental is too expensive, when people spend $1000's on their cars, is simply ignorant.
http://www.mirdrag.com/v2/rentals/pdf/08_rentals.pdf
John @ Feb 18th 2008 1:37PM
The crown vic driver has the ultimate responsibility to control his own car. But what about the responsibility of the people gathered on the side of the road witnessing this illegal racing? They are breaking the law also being there. There is 50-50 blame in my opinion.
Papi L-Gee @ Feb 18th 2008 1:45PM
Just saw this story on the noonday news. Tragic indeed.