Texas drag race driver slams into spectators, killing 2 kids

KERRVILLE, Texas – A operator mislaid power during a Texas resistance racing lawsuit connected an airdrome runway and slammed into a assemblage of spectators, sidesplitting 2 children and injuring 8 different people, authorities said.

A 6-year-old lad and an 8-year-old lad were killed successful the clang Saturday day astatine an lawsuit called “Airport Race Wars 2” astatine the Kerrville-Kerr County Airport, constabulary said successful a quality release. The organized lawsuit was attended by thousands and progressive drivers speeding down a runway arsenic they competed for cash.

The operator “lost power and near the runway, crashing into parked vehicles and striking spectators who were observing the races,” Kerrville constabulary said.

The injured victims were taken to assorted hospitals, including a 46-year-old pistillate who was listed successful captious condition. The bulk of the different injuries were not believed to beryllium life-threatening, though the information of a 26-year-old antheral was unknown, authorities said. A 4-year-old lad and a 3-month-old miss were taken to a infirmary for precautionary evaluations.

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Authorities person not released the identities of the 2 children who were killed astatine the lawsuit astir 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio.

The Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau's website promoted the lawsuit arsenic an “action packed, family-friendly day” successful which fans could ticker the “fastest resistance cars vie for implicit $8000 successful full prizes.”

Upward of 3,500 radical were successful attendance, according to Louis Amestoy, a freelance writer who was astatine the event.

The contention was an eighth of a mile (0.2 kilometers) long, and water-filled integrative barriers lined the course. But Amestoy said they didn’t widen past the decorativeness line, leaving nary extortion betwixt spectators and cars arsenic they were slowing down astatine the extremity of the race.

Spectators could get wrong astir 15 feet (4.6 meters) of the track, and galore watched the contention from tract chairs successful the lack of stands. Organizers reminded radical to enactment successful the writer and disconnected the asphalt, Amestoy told The Associated Press successful a telephone interview.

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The operator was nearing the extremity of the portion erstwhile the car veered disconnected course, Amestoy said.

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Associated Press writer Bryan Gallion contributed to this study from Roseland, New Jersey.

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