Tenn. Car Crash Death Toll Rises (now at 7)

Published: 6/17/07, 11:25 AM EDT
By WILL YORK
SELMER, Tenn. (AP) - Three more people have died after a drag-racing car went out of control and careened into a crowd of spectators, raising the death toll to seven, state officials said Sunday.

The crash occurred Saturday night during an "exhibition burnout" - when a driver spins his tires to make them heat up and smoke - at the Cars for Kids charity event in Selmer, located about 80 miles east of Memphis.

Several other people were injured.

Amateur video of the crash, broadcast on WMC-TV in Memphis, showed the car's engine revving loudly before the vehicle sped down a highway lined with spectators on both sides. After a few hundred feet, the smoking car skidded off the road.

The identities of the victims and the driver were not immediately released.

Witness Scott Henley said the vehicle started burning off its tires, then fishtailed and slammed into a utility pole before spinning around into the audience.

Selmer Police Chief Neal Burks said "bodies were flying into the air when it happened."

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Some folks got to learn the hard way. Too bad some have to die.

This was a two lane highway with people standing on the shoulders watching the cars. Think small town USA population watching a parade going by. No more security than that.

Stupid, irresponsible and asinine.

just waiting to happen. i been to tennessee, can't say i am surpised.

pshaw, not like we ain;'t got idjits in the north.

When you put a herd of people together the majority tend to be followers. Most don't question when they're told to stand here or wait there if no one else is questioning it. They don't want to appear different and will usually just go along with what they're told.

These people were permitted, perhaps even encouraged, to stand along the roadside and watch an event that had very strong potential to become dangerous, even lethal, without even the most basic of safety precautions in place.

I'm not surprised by the outcome, but that doesn't mean it wasn't 100% avoidable.

They clearly knew exactly what was coming down the parade.

Pretty moronic post.