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Salt Walther Dies

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  • Salt Walther Dies

    David "Salt" Walther, the former auto and hydroplane racer severely burned in a spectacular crash in the 1973 Indianapolis 500, has died. He was 65. The Montgomery County Coroner's Office confirmed the death Friday, saying Walther was reported dead Thursday night and that the cause of death hadn't been determined. Walther also drove briefly in NASCAR, finishing 12th in the 1976 Daytona 500 [drove in 4 Cup races]. At the start of the 1973 Indy 500, Walther's car pinwheeled down the track, his legs sticking out of his torn-up racer, after touching wheels with Jerry Grant and slamming into the catch-fencing in a fiery crash near the starting line. Blinded by the fireball that spread across the front straightaway, several other drivers slammed into Walther's car. Walther fought an addiction to painkillers after the accident and spent time in jail and prison. He was arrested in Dayton, Ohio, last month in a case dating to 2007, and it wasn't immediately known if he was incarcerated at the time of his death

  • #2
    unlucky man.

    wikipedia has more details about his life.
    Previously boxer3main
    the death rate and fairy tales cannot kill the nature left behind.

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    • #3
      Bummer. He was my age and I know I'm not ready for that last round-up yet. May he rest in peace - sounds like he didn't have much of it on this planet.

      Dan

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      • #4
        wow what a bummer. i remember seeing that crash on the TV news and thinking how could he have made it thru alive.
        Racing Solves Everything

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        • #5
          My mom came back from a GOP fundraiser a couple months ago and she had been seated with Salt, She told me that he spoke about his racing career and was a very nice person to talk with. She also told me that his life must have been difficult based on the amount of disfigurement he had to deal with from the crash. I was a kid hooked on racing when his accident happened and it was really scary. His parents live very close to my mom's place, and an old boss i worked for for 9 yrs lives just a few doors down from them also.

          May God hold his soul and protect him from harm. My sympathy goes out to his family.

          bummer.
          Mike in Southwest Ohio

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