Most drag races take place on short stretches of pavement that have been designed for racing. While airport runways may seem nearly identical to drag strips, they do not have the same pavement profile, and in most cases, spectators must stand close to the speeding cars and do not have places to sit. A recent drag racing accident at the Airport Race Wars 2 demonstrates the hazards of this kind of racing.
The incident
Not many details have been released by the law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction over the accident or be other media outlets. Facts released thus far say that a 1990 Mustang competing in the Airport Race Wars 2 was racing on the runway at the Kerr County Airport when the driver lost control of his vehicle about half-way down the track and steered it into a crowd of spectators gathered on a hill near the runway. When the Mustang hit the crowd of spectators, it killed a 6-year-old and an 8-year old boy. The vehicle stopped when it hit a trailer parked near the runway.
Other victims
In addition to the two boys who were killed, a 26-year-old male from Taylor Texas and a 27-year old woman, also from Taylor, were taken to nearby hospitals. The man was described as being in stable condition in Austin Hospital, and the woman was listed in critical condition at University Hospital. The driver of the Mustang that precipitated these tragic events was listed in stable condition by University Hospital.
Liability issues
The first question that must be answered is what caused the driver of the Mustang to lose control of his car. Was he negligent in any respect? Was he an experienced drag racer? Had he received proper training? The next question is whether the sponsor of the race properly vetted the driver of the Mustang before permitting him to enter the event? Was the sponsor negligent in any way in setting up the drag strip on the runway? Was the Mustang inspected before it began the run?
What next?
Once the liability issues are sorted out, the parents of the two young boys will have strong wrongful death claims against the negligent party. The three people who were injured may have claims if the physical condition of the raceway was judged to be defective in any way. (The driver of the Mustang will have almost no claims if he is judged to have been negligent.) Any person who may wish to seek damages for personal injuries may wish to consult a knowledgeable auto accident attorney for an evaluation of the evidence and an estimate of the likelihood of recovering damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost income and pain and suffering.
