Two children were killed and eight others were injured at a Texas drag racing event when a driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a crowd of spectators on Saturday.
Two boys, ages 6 and 8, died at a popular afternoon event called “Airport Race Wars 2” that attracted thousands to the Kerrville-Kerr County airport, the Kerrville Police Department said in a statement Saturday night.
Around 3:20 p.m. a driver was speeding down the runway when he lost control, “crashing into parked vehicles and striking spectators who were observing the races,” police said.
Four victims, ages 26 to 46, were airlifted to nearby hospitals from the scene, which is about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio, the statement said. One of those injured, a 46-year-old woman, was taken to University Medical Center and remains in critical condition, according to police.
Two other children — a 4-year-old boy and a three-month-old baby girl — were transported to Peterson Regional Medical Center for precautionary evaluations, police said.
The 34-year-old driver was taken to San Antonio Medical Center and is listed in stable condition.
Two others were treated and released at the scene.
The identities of the children killed have not yet been released.
Police said that the investigation is ongoing.
Freelance journalist Louis Amestoy, who was at the event, told The Associated Press that about 3,500 motorsports fans attended the event, which bills itself as “an action packed, family-friendly day of all-out No Prep Drag Racing.” Winning prizes at the event were as high as $8,000, according to the Kerrville visitor’s bureau.
The racecourse was an eighth of a mile long and lined with water-filled barriers, Amestoy told AP. 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 said, 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.
With Post wires