7 Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

[Schtauffer]

This is bad. Looks like it happened south of Washington, D.C.

http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20080216/47b66dd0_3ca6_1552620080216-1557484641

[OldUsedParts]

Re: 7 Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

So sad and the use of the word "LIKELY" is even sadder :'(

[min301]

Re: 7 Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

Someones should e-mail them, it's a street race, not a drag race. Those are sanctioned, and only happen at the track.

[fabricatordave]

Re: 7 Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

i live in va 210 in md is where they street race
there only like 10 miles from a drag strip (MIR)

sad. save it for the track

[VTJUNK]

Re: 7 Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

Must be that the penalties for street racing aren't that harsh down there. Here in VT if you get caught racing they yank your license for at least 1 year, slap you with fines and you serve time. That's the first offense. Second time same thing, but you don't get out as soon, and you may not get your ride back.

[dand38s]

Re: 7 Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

In Texas they have the option to take your license and your car on the first offence. When will people learn to take it to the track. I guess I just got lucky and survived that part of my life when I had to try and race every other car that came to a light. Now if anyone wants to race, they can either meet me at the track or they can forget about it.

It is very sad, but it still happens all the time. I guess when I was growing up, we were smart enough to all stand behind the starting line and not lining the road in front.

[MikeyT]

Re: 7 Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

I have read this story on a few sites. It seems pretty much all are in agreement. Street racing is pretty stupid. It just seems pretty dumb when its so close to a track.

Yet here is an honest question. Why not more tracks? It seems like this would help eliminat the problem. Perhaps not here, but I know as a kid, when I street raced it was because the track was 3 hours away!

Mike

[min301]

Re: 7 Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

Since I quit, it has become a felony in Michigan, and the car is auctioned off. You'll never see it again.

[Two Lane Blacktop]

Eight Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

UPDATE:

8 Killed As Car Hits Md. Drag-Race Crowd

Feb 16 04:10 PM US/Eastern
By STEPHEN MANNING
Associated Press Writer

ACCOKEEK, Md. (AP) - A car plowed into a crowd that had gathered to watch a drag race on a suburban road early Saturday, killing eight people and injuring at least five, police said.

Police said the white sedan was not involved in the street race but accidentally drove into the crowd of about 50 people that had spilled onto the highway to watch two racing cars speed off.

"There were just bodies everywhere; it was horrible," said Crystal Gaines, 27, whose father was among the dead.

Gaines said she grabbed her child but could not help her father, William Gaines Sr., 61.

"He wasn't breathing, he wasn't moving," she said. "His body was in pieces."

Gaines said the car did not have its lights on, but police could not confirm that.

The white sedan hit people standing on the side of Route 210 around 3:40 a.m., Prince George's County Police Cpl. Clinton Copeland said.

A tractor-trailer that came by shortly afterward may also have struck someone on the road as it tried to avoid the crash, he said.

"It's probably one of the worst scenes I've seen," Copeland said. "This is a situation that could have been avoided, and it's a very tragic situation."

The victims ranged in age from their 20s to 60s, police said. Seven people were pronounced dead at the scene, and an eighth died later at a hospital.

Hours after the accident on the divided highway in Accokeek, bodies covered in white sheets were scattered along what police were calling a 200-yard crime scene.

Some were in the road, while others were on the shoulder.

The sedan came to a rest on an embankment about 150 feet from where the crowd had been. It had a crumpled front and hood, and the roof had partially collapsed.

The driver of the white sedan had been interviewed and did not appear to be seriously hurt, Police Capt. Donald Frick said.

Police said a body found in the car was one of the spectators and not a passenger as they had previously reported.

According to police, two cars had lined up for a race on the smooth and relatively flat and straight stretch of highway.

They spun their wheels, kicking up smoke, then sped off, Copeland said.

The crowd then moved into the road to watch the cars drive away.

The combination of the smoke and the dark morning likely meant the driver of the approaching white sedan could not see the crowd. No charges were pending.

Authorities were looking for the drivers of the two cars involved in the race.

Authorities were working to identify the victims by showing digital photos of them to bystanders who said loved ones had been hurt.

John Courtney said after viewing one of the images that his brother, Mark, 33, was among the dead.

"He liked going to the race track, watching races," Courtney said. "It's going to take a toll on my family for a long time."

Investigators had "more questions than answers," Copeland said.

Route 210 has two lanes in each direction and traffic lights about every 150 to 200 yards in Accokeek, about 20 miles south of Washington. In that area, the road is flanked by some businesses but has little traffic in the early hours, Copeland said.

Frick said it's common in the summer for police to deal with reports of motorcycles racing on the highway, which is relatively smooth with long straightaways, but he said they have not had as much of an issue with cars.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8URK7P00&show_article=1

[Schtauffer]

Re: 7 Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

Walking into lanes of traffic can get you killed. :'(

[Fordplay0621]

Re: 7 Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

"If your gonna be dumb, You gotta be Tough".

[Spencer]

Re: 7 Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

Not to sound callous or anything, but these people made some really dumb choices. What kind of "man" is out at 3:40 am with his daughter and grandchild, standing in the middle of a highway watching illegal races?? Shame on him.

[Schtauffer]

Re: 7 Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

Imagine driving down the road early one morning on your way to or from work, minding your own business, and all of the sudden you're in what seems like fog and bodies are bouncing off your car.

And the media is saying a car roared into the crowd during a drag race-- that is pure sensationalism. The reporters are doing a good bit of damage on this one, that's for sure.

Who do you think is gonna get the manslaughter charges?

[65 L79]

Re: 7 Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

I've seen kids and parents alike line up in thick crowds and roar and jeer at cruisers leaving the parking lot about the time things are wrapping up . "Burn Out" "Get On It" "Lets Hear It" are common things they yell at the person in their hot rod. A freindly little "tiny" blip on the throttle should be ok but some of these guys are just as willing to toss common sense out the window, stop and smoke-em up into high gear -just for show . I consider that complete nonsense .
I personally get more charged up by hearing a car go by or leave somewhere that will just goose the throttle ever so slightly in recognition that I'm gawking at the machine. You know the kind -- that romp and chortle coming up the back road turning 3500 in high gear and sound outrageous !!
When we used to street race outside of Pottstown Pa , we would wait till about 12:30 am and head calmly out to the bypass and the last pair in the back would be on the brake lights to stop what little traffic there was.
It seemed that people just knew that these were hot rods by the huge tires in the back and would stop and give enough time for 6 pairs of cars to launch and be gone. No burnout , just rev twice and leave on the third one.
I dont know how well that would go anymore ! I agree , its better off taken to the drag strip because you dont have any run-in's with the law that way and there arent any complaints about the noise and nobody standing in the way or along the sides . It's cool having Maple Grove raceway about 20 min. away from us .

[grumpy347]

Re: 7 Dead in Likely Drag-Race Crash

The problem is, the environmentalists get wind of a new track and they stop it dead. I live in the twin cities of Minnesota; We lost both of our tracks back in the late 70's early 80's leaving us one track 150 miles away and another one 125 miles away (1/4 mile that is) and in MN. the weather can be night and day different in 50 miles.

One group has tried for at least 5 years that I know of to build a track, they had land and money 50 miles south of the cities, the tree hugger's found out about it and that ended it.

Another group tried about 50 miles north and they got stopped, so they bought the one 150 miles north.

We have Politicians and police departments trying to close down drive ins 'cuz they don't like cars. They want us to go away but won't give us a place to go.

More tracks won't get everyone off the street, but it will get a lot off the street.