In one of the most tragic and freakish drag strip fatalities we have ever heard of, a spectator at Harrells Raceway in Harrells, North Carolina, was killed when a car crashed and its motor came loose, landing on said spectator. Another spectator was injured when the flaming fuel cell from the same car launched past them, causing burns.
Reportedly the car was traveling 130-135 mph down the humble eighth-mile strip. News reports state that the engine was thrown 100 feet and landed on top of spectator Terry McDougald of Lillington. The driver of the car was flown to the hospital in Wilmington, but refused care. Far less importantly, several vehicles, which we presume were parked track-side, suffered damage from flying parts and debris.
We’ve seen lots of wrecks but we have never seen an engine tear loose and travel the distances that this one did. We feel terrible for the family of the man killed by the engine. A simple trip to the drags ended up costing him his life.
Source — WWaytv3.com — Drag Strip Spectator Killed by Flying Engine
