Two young boys ages six and eight were killed in a terrifying crash at a Texas drag racing event on Saturday. The organized drag-racing event at the Kerrville-Kerr County Airport left four others in critical condition.
A vehicle participating in a drag racing event, Airport Race Wars 2, lost control and left the runway, crashing into parked vehicles and striking spectators who were observing the races. The horror crash resulted in two fatalities, a six-year-old male child who died at the scene, and an eight-year-old male child who was transported to Peterson Regional Medical Center in Kerrville where he was pronounced deceased. Four injured people were transported by air ambulances to treatment facilities.
A Car Lost Control and Left the Runway
According to freelance journalist Louis Amestoy, about 3,500 motorsports fans attended the event. He told The Associated Press that the racecourse was an eighth of a mile long and lined with water-filled barriers. However, the barriers did not extend past the finish line where he said the vehicle crashed, leaving spectators exposed while cars slowed down.
Spectators were able to get as close as 15 feet from the race track, Amestoy added, and were reminded by organizers to stay off of the grass and asphalt. No bleachers were available, and many sat and watched from lawn chairs.
Winning Prizes at the Event were as High as $8,000
The "Airport Race Wars," was organized by Ross Dunagan. He is the owner of Flyin' Diesel Performance, an auto-repair shop in Kerrville. Dunagan shared a video on Facebook confirming the crash and asking for people to "please pray for everyone involved."
"Medical personnel are doing everything they can, and they're taking care of the entire scene," he said. "So we cannot give any updates on anything...We're taking care of it. The race is shut down."
Winning prizes at the event were as high as $8,000. The Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau's website branded the event as "an action packed, family-friendly day of all out No Prep Drag Racing". The message posted on the website reads, "Come see some of the fastest drag cars compete for over $8000 in total prizes. Food and drink vendors will be onsite."
Investigation is Ongoing
Brittany Lehmann, who was watching the race with her three children, told the Kerrville Daily Times that the crash appeared to have happened after the vehicle crossed the finish line — an area where there were no barriers. Her husband participated in one of the earlier races. According to Lehmann, people ran as black smoke came out from the scene. An ambulance that was already on-site and other first responders "arrived very quickly."
"They said, get your children out of here," Lehmann told the Daily Times. Kerrville Police are conducting an investigation into the accident.
