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View Full Version : 7 Killed As Car Hits Md. Drag-Race Crowd



High-C
02-16-2008, 09:49 AM
WTF??? This is really sad... It was a Crown Vic too...

ACCOKEEK, Md. (AP) - A car plowed into a crowd that had gathered to watch a drag race on a suburban road early Saturday, killing seven people and injuring at least four, police said.
Witnesses said they had just watched two cars in the illegal street race speed past when a car without any lights on came up behind them and veered into a crowd of about 50.
"There were just bodies everywhere; it was horrible," said Crystal Gaines, 27, whose father was among the dead.
Gaines said she grabbed her child but could not help her father, William Gaines Sr., 61.
"He wasn't breathing, he wasn't moving," she said. "His body was in pieces."
A white sedan hit people standing on the side of Route 210 around 3:40 a.m., Prince George's County Police Cpl. Clinton Copeland (http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=733&inform_keyword=Clinton+Copelan d) said, but it wasn't clear whether that was one of the cars involved in the race. A tractor-trailer that came by shortly afterward may also have struck someone on the road as it tried to avoid the crash, he said.
"It's probably one of the worst scenes I've seen," Copeland said. "This is a situation that could have been avoided, and it's a very tragic situation."
Four people were taken to hospitals, Copeland said. Their conditions weren't immediately known.
Hours after the accident on the divided highway in Accokeek, bodies covered in white sheets were scattered along what police were calling a 200-yard crime scene. Some were in the road, while others were on the shoulder.
The sedan came to a rest on an embankment about 150 feet from where the crowd had been. It had a crumpled front and hood, and the roof had partially collapsed.
The driver of the white sedan had been interviewed and did not appear to be seriously hurt, but a passenger was among the dead, Police Capt. Donald Frick said.
Authorities were working to identify the victims by showing digital photos of them to bystanders who said loved ones had been hurt. John Courtney said after viewing one of the images that his brother, Mark, 33, was among the dead.
"He liked going to the race track, watching races," Courtney said. "It's going to take a toll on my family for a long time."
Investigators had "more questions than answers," Copeland said.
Route 210 has two lanes in each direction and traffic lights about every 150 to 200 yards in Accokeek, about 20 miles south of Washington (http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=733&inform_keyword=Washington). In that area, the road is flanked by some businesses but has little traffic in the early hours, Copeland said.

PRCARGUY
02-16-2008, 10:41 AM
This brings back not so great memorys.

xopher
02-16-2008, 10:49 AM
7 killed in street race this morning in Maryland: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/16/drag.race.deaths.ap/index.html.

Very sad. Having fun is good, but safety must come first. I've passed on numerous opportunities to put the hammer down because of shady conditions. Saw the "white sedan" was a Crown Vic and immediately thought of the number of Panthers racing out there. We all have to put the safety of others first.

MACFORD88
02-16-2008, 11:13 AM
Yes I Saw That This Morning.

Motorhead350
02-16-2008, 11:37 AM
ummmm why would you bring your father to a street race? I rarely ever do it and usually it's on a track with the clocks off. Other times when it is on a street people are no where near the speed zone. :shake:

Now you got me thinking twice.

knine
02-16-2008, 11:57 AM
Just at about a year ago, car into the crowds at a charity event, many killed there too.......when the guy did a burn-out during a parade. sad. When will people learn the street is not for racing? :cheesed:

03blackvegas
02-16-2008, 12:41 PM
I'd like to see the video.

Aren Jay
02-16-2008, 01:06 PM
So where the other cars Marauders or Crown Vic's too?

MACFORD88
02-16-2008, 01:13 PM
I Dont Know I Heard They Were Two Cvs Racing.

Joe Walsh
02-16-2008, 01:43 PM
JEEZ!

I hadn't heard about this until I read this post.

I know that stretch of 210 really well.
Route 210 runs south out of DC from the Beltway and is straight as an arrow.
It used to be fairly deserted, but with all the new subdivisions built down there it is now a pretty busy road.

I don't get what the car 'with no lights on' was doing? :dunno:

Were the two cars that were racing involved at all?

CRUZTAKER
02-16-2008, 01:56 PM
I'd like to see the video.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/16/drag.race.deaths.ap/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

OO91
02-16-2008, 01:59 PM
I just read the news report on yahoo. The vic came along after the 2 "racers" did burnouts. The driver of the vic couldnt see the people who were standing in the road because of the smoke.

Master
02-16-2008, 02:37 PM
On the news just now, they said that the driver was killed. This contradicts what I'd heard earlier. Pictures don't look very good.

Bluerauder
02-16-2008, 02:59 PM
Death toll is eight now. Seems the "white sedan" came along immediately after the race and ran into the crowd of people who had walked into the road. For some reason, that car didn't have its headlights on.

Link to article >>> http://www6.comcast.net/news/articles/general/2008/02/16/Drag.Racing.Deaths/

airborne_mp84
02-16-2008, 03:21 PM
The Poeple That Survived Are Lucky That P71 Didnt Have A Rhino Push Bar On The Front, Could Have Been A Little Bit More Damage Done:(

John Nero
02-16-2008, 03:23 PM
only a..holes street race -take it to a track

TiTo35
02-16-2008, 03:30 PM
OMG....I was on 210 that night...:(
If any1 knows 210...its not a place for a crowd of people to stand in the middle of the street, race or no race. I hope the 2 drivers have the balls to stand up...That is sad...very sad.

TiTo35
02-16-2008, 03:48 PM
:shake: I was on 210 that night too...:shake:

Vortex
02-16-2008, 05:29 PM
When I was young and stupid I thought street racing was cool. I did alot of stupid stuff back then (like ride a motorcycle without a helmet ect...). Sorry to hear about this, I read some poor slob was driving thru the clouds of a burnout and all those killed were standing in the middle of the street looking the other way.

TiTo35
02-16-2008, 05:33 PM
some poor slob

Why you call him a poor slob?

MACFORD88
02-16-2008, 05:54 PM
why a poor slop?because of the cv?

MACFORD88
02-16-2008, 05:57 PM
i think it could of been any body driving.you just dont expect people standing on the road way.

TiTo35
02-16-2008, 06:09 PM
i think it could of been any body driving.you just dont expect people standing on the road way.

Yea thats what i thought the driver of the CV really was not aware...it was night and there was a cloud of smoke...they said he did not have any lights on...what ever the case...you dont expect 50 ppl in the street.

ctrlraven
02-16-2008, 07:37 PM
8 dead now.

baltimoremm
02-16-2008, 08:41 PM
A very tragic and avoidable event.
I fail to see the allure of illegal street racing.

rlynch1977
02-16-2008, 09:09 PM
were the people in the white cv drinking? no lights, plowed into the crowd, i saw the car in the video, no race car for sure, i had a good friend loose his fiance to a bunch of drunk *******s in a car with the headlights off, probably the same thing, i dont think that cv was racing, and why was its lights off?

Aren Jay
02-16-2008, 09:45 PM
So the whole thing about this being a racing incident is wrong, unless the chase car was filming or some such thing.

If it was a drinking incident I guess I could see how it took place and the racing might have had something to do with the CV trying to keep up with the traffic flow. But other than that I, like the rest of you, just don't know.

Other than that, the crowd was there because of the race but that would be the only link to this event.

TiTo35
02-16-2008, 09:50 PM
So the whole thing about this being a racing incident is wrong, unless the chase car was filming or some such thing.

If it was a drinking incident I guess I could see how it took place and the racing might have had something to do with the CV trying to keep up with the traffic flow. But other than that I, like the rest of you, just don't know.

Other than that, the crowd was there because of the race but that would be the only link to this event.


NO NO NO, they never said the CV driver was drinking...there was a race...the 2 cars kicked up smoke...after the cars sped off he crowd went into the street...technically its a highway...and watched the cars speed away...the person driving the CV was just coming down the street and saw no1 cause of the smoke and it was night...the police said it was no way...as of now to prove if the car had lights on or not...

Pat
02-16-2008, 10:32 PM
A HORRID CHAIN OF EVENTS

On that model car, the lights should come on automatically at dusk if the switch is in the auto position.

Since the damage was so heavy the lights could be off after the wreck, but the switch would still be in auto position.

If the light switch was in the off position then there's going to be liability for the CV driver.

Arm chair inquiry: why did the people gather in the streets if an on-coming car's lights could be observed?

An 18 wheeler also didn't react fast enough and may have run over a person or two. What's up with that? following too close, inattention?

Those two racers are known by people in the crowd, they will be quickly found if they don't come forward. Since they caused the smoke that obscured the vision of the CV driver they will prolly be charged with muliple counts of manslaughter.


We should pray for all families involved.

ctrlraven
02-17-2008, 01:05 AM
I am on another forum which a lot of the people on there are throwing out hearsay stuff since they knew people that were at the accident.

Some of the things they are saying is that the driver of the CV was drunk, had the lights off and was being chased by the police.

Ages of the late people are from 20-60.

"one witness" said she only had time to grab her 3-yr old and not her husband who got hit by the car.

The two cars that were racing were 8sec drag cars and racing for $5,000.

The police were paid off to turn their heads at the race.

Flatbed tow trucks were in place to block off both ends of the road around the area they were racing in.

The front passenger of the CV was not an actually passenger but a person that was hit and somehow ended up in the car but the windshield is in enacted from the looks of the pictures.

Bluerauder
02-17-2008, 05:36 AM
"one witness" said she only had time to grab her 3-yr old and not her husband who got hit by the car.
Not her husband. It was her father ... 61 years old. As I recall, she was the one who initially said that the CV did not have lights on. That point has not been independently confirmed according to the latest reports.

I have been on that stretch of MD Route 210 to-and-from our Bert's 50 gatherings with CAM. 3-4 lanes in both directions. High speed highway. The last thing anyone would expect to see on that road is a crowd of people in the middle of the street. It would be akin to having a bunch of people standing in the middle of the interstate. Just not expected at all.

Even so, if I saw a cloud of smoke ahead ... I would definitely come off the gas to see what it was (ie. a wreck, a fire, etc.) and would be looking really hard for "something" ahead.

knine
02-17-2008, 06:43 AM
There's a way to tell if the headlights were on, the tungston fillament will have "hotshock", any trained A.I. will be able to tell

sailsmen
02-17-2008, 08:41 AM
I have a lot of races at the track and I don't ever recall seeing enough smoke to obscure vision.

Did they do a burn out contest and then immediately start the race?

I wonder if the smoke obsruction is just a smoke screen.

I think the people are stupid for racing and the spectators even stupider for running out in a highway at nite.

During crawfish season I have seen these same morons darting back and forth at nite across the interstate chasing crawfish you can buy for $2 a pound cooked. I have called the police and had to argue about which jurisdiction.

I put the blame on the morons standing in the highway.

NATEHAWK
02-17-2008, 08:54 AM
This accident happened 5 min from my house. I'm was home sleep

Breadfan
02-17-2008, 09:12 AM
That's sad, and to think there's two official drag strips nearby (MIR closest to that point and Capitol not all that far away).

If racing is your hobby you run at the official tracks at sanctioned events.

The rest of this stuff is not racing sport it's illegal and as we saw here many times very tragic.

ctrlraven
02-17-2008, 12:57 PM
Newest released pictures

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2008/02/16/GA2008021602416.html

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Md-street-racing-accident/ss/events/ts/021608streetracing/s:/ap/20080216/ap_on_re_us/drag_racing_deaths;_ylt=ApH5oS o_OCDmoB6R9QJH7npH2ocA


Video:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/16/drag.race.deaths.ap/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
Four videos will play through

airborne_mp84
02-17-2008, 01:07 PM
anyone know how fast the cv was going?

Aren Jay
02-17-2008, 01:35 PM
So that 3rd video pretty much explains the whole thing.

Race was over and the cars were doing burn outs. People where standing on the road, when the CV hit them.

Leadfoot281
02-17-2008, 06:04 PM
anyone know how fast the cv was going?

That car must have been haulin some serious a$$. I've seen CV's hit deer at 50 mph and only crack a headlight and bust the grill. I know, I was the one driving it. Sure, I didn't hit 8 deer at once, but still, that's awefull lot of damage.

Heck, my friends wife hit a 900+ lb cow in her Ford Aspire and it didn't look that bad.

That CV looks like it hit another CV.....twice.

ctrlraven
02-17-2008, 09:53 PM
Not her husband. It was her father ... 61 years old. As I recall, she was the one who initially said that the CV did not have lights on. That point has not been independently confirmed according to the latest reports.

I have been on that stretch of MD Route 210 to-and-from our Bert's 50 gatherings with CAM. 3-4 lanes in both directions. High speed highway. The last thing anyone would expect to see on that road is a crowd of people in the middle of the street. It would be akin to having a bunch of people standing in the middle of the interstate. Just not expected at all.

Even so, if I saw a cloud of smoke ahead ... I would definitely come off the gas to see what it was (ie. a wreck, a fire, etc.) and would be looking really hard for "something" ahead.

I was just repeating what one person told another that I know.

Motorhead350
02-17-2008, 10:25 PM
Still no one should be standing in a highway like that let alone more than 50 people. If these people knew what they were doing for a street race they would go to an unpopulated well lit area where there are no cars passing by. A good place to go to is a back of a yard area where semi's would drop off their load... lots of space there and security will block off the street for you! :cool: I love this city.

People used to have a one mile race on the Chicago Skyway years ago right after the toll going back into the city, but that was really dangerious. Imagine what your car would be doing after a mile of flooring. :eek: FYI I have never done the one mile race nor will I, but if you are in a well lit area where there is no other traffic I see no problem with it... oh ya they have a name for it, it's Street Car Chaos at US 41 Dragway, can't wait to go back this year!!! :D

Gordonfan24
02-18-2008, 05:15 PM
I can't attest to the accuracy, but this is apparently from someone who was there:

to clear this up: my boy died from the fact of the police chasing the crown victoria, the kid ran thru the crowd at about 75 mph, the race had already taking place and the cars had gone thru, it was just like at any other race, when at the starting line people gather and once the cars leave the line, people gather to the center to see the cars making the pass, well from behind here comes the crown vic with no head lights and thru the crowd..... NOW THE F****** COPS DONT WANNA TELL THE TRUTH BECAUSE OF THE " NO CHASE LAW." RIP "OTTIS & SPORT"If that's true, the media is either covering for the cops or hasn't finished researching (when has that ever stopped them?). I read that some people were saying the driver was drunk and trying to get away from the cops. I don't know...

Either way, it's a tragic event. RIP.

TiTo35
02-18-2008, 05:21 PM
As time goes by more details will be revealed...

Joe Walsh
02-18-2008, 07:17 PM
Something doesn't sound right about that CV and it's "innocent" driver...

Were it's lights ON?....OFF?

And WHO drives straight into a cloud of smoke at full speed??...WTF?

BTW: If you have two really fast, really well built RACE cars;
TAKE THEM TO THE FRIGGIN' DRAG STRIP YOU **** IDIOTS!!!
Leave the street racing to the moron Ricers and their 16 second turds.

SILVERSURFER03
02-18-2008, 07:34 PM
i heard today that the driver wasnt going to be charged with the acedent

MACFORD88
02-18-2008, 07:41 PM
Still They Should Of Not Been There In The Road.

Joe Walsh
02-18-2008, 08:43 PM
Still They Should Of Not Been There In The Road.

I agree....those 'innocent' bystanders who 'just happened upon a street race' should have been home in bed.

If they wanted to see some good drag racing....once again....GO TO THE FRIGGIN' DRAG STRIP!

Topher
02-19-2008, 09:45 AM
"There were just bodies everywhere; it was horrible," said Crystal Gaines, 27, whose father was among the dead.
Gaines said she grabbed her child but could not help her father, William Gaines Sr., 61.
"He wasn't breathing, he wasn't moving," she said. "His body was in pieces."


What's disturbing to me is that parents are bringing their young kids to watch a street race at 3:40AM!!!!. If you're going to do something stupid like this, especially in the middle of the night, don't drag your kids along. Can't find a sitter at 3am?? Hmm, then maybe that's the first clue it's not such a good idea.

dreydin
02-19-2008, 10:18 AM
what the heck? this is some fishy stuff!

TiTo35
02-19-2008, 10:27 AM
Whats even fishy-er...lol...Is that the racers are still at large and I am sure that 1 of those spectators know atleast one of those drivers...People in this area go by this "No Snitchin" rule:shake:. I also believe that the police in this area are going to "bother" any and everyone with a fast car too...Warn your fast and furious boys.

sailsmen
02-19-2008, 10:52 AM
I tend to put them in the general category of "Crack Head" as in they do "Crack" and or their head is "Cracked".

SILVERSURFER03
02-19-2008, 11:46 AM
I Don't Want To Sound Heartless But If You Stand In The Road Your Going To Get It... With Or With Out Smoke In The Road .. When I Went To Watch Street Racing We Stayed On The Side Lines ..but Never The Less It Should Have Been On A Track..

High-C
02-19-2008, 11:49 AM
WASHINGTON (http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=733&inform_keyword=Washington) -- An adrenaline rush, a competitive nature, bragging rights. Whatever it is that attracts people to an illegal drag race at 3 a.m., lawmakers want to study it. They also want to talk about whether people in the crowd should face penalties for watching.
"For some reason, there is something about watching this activity that just lured them out at 3 in the morning," says Maryland State Delegate Jolene Ivy, who represents Prince George's County, where eight people were killed in an accident over the weekend.
"Now the driver who hit them has got to live with it for the rest of their life, knowing that this incident caused the death of eight people."
The speeding cars that were racing on Indian Head Highway in Accokeek (http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=733&inform_keyword=Accokeek) early Saturday were not the cars involved in the crash. A sedan that was not part of the race, but was driving along the road, was. It plowed into a group of people that had spilled onto the roadway.
"There just has to be some personal responsibility," says Ivy. "These were adults (who were watching), these mostly were not children."
She wants to huddle with other lawmakers to talk about possible legislation that could make watching illegal drag races a crime.
"It is something we need to take a careful look at and figure out how to solve the problem."
In addition, Ivy thinks using speed cameras are a good way to combat the illegal drag-racing issue.
"It seems like an optimal time to put something like that in," says Ivy. "The police can't be everywhere all the time. We don't have enough police on the streets in Prince George's County, unfortunately. You can't expect the police to sit (on Route 210) all day and all night waiting for a drag race to come by. That doesn't make sense." A bill that would make speed cameras a reality all across Maryland (http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=733&inform_keyword=Maryland) is inching closer to being passed. Ivy believes it will come out of Annapolis (http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=733&inform_keyword=Annapolis+(Mary land)) this year.

High-C
02-19-2008, 11:51 AM
Fetter blamed a thin police presence in the area for the prevalence of the illegal races. He said neighbors have complained that the events effectively block off access to the divided highway from some side streets.
Prince George's County borders Washington, D.C. (http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=733&inform_keyword=Washington%2c+D C), but Accokeek (http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=733&inform_keyword=Accokeek) is about 20 miles from the city.
"The police tend to get distracted by things closer to D.C., so no one's ever there," Fetter said. "They tend to forget about it."
He said his group discussed the problem of reckless driving a few months ago with Melvin High (http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=733&inform_keyword=Melvin+High), Prince George's County's police chief.
Frank Dunn, owner of Country Carpet, just off the highway near the crash site, told The Washington Post (http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=733&inform_keyword=The+Washington+ Post+Company) that in the past week to 10 days customers have been telling him that his store's parking lot had been full of cars in the middle of the night. He said one customer told him cars were being unloaded from trailers there in preparation for races.
Police said Saturday they are aware of the reckless driving problem on the road. They said motorcycle races are common in the warm weather.
Sheila Howard, a paramedic in neighboring Charles County (http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=733&inform_keyword=Charles+County) and one of the first paramedics on the scene Saturday, said she too is familiar with the problem. She said the underground race circuit is well organized.
"There's going to be no stopping them," she said. "There are always going to be drag racers. And they carry scanners. They know when the police are coming to them."
Maj. Joe Montminy of the Charles County Sheriff's Office, agreed. "It's pretty sophisticated," he told The Post. "They have lookouts, and they know we're coming for miles."

Breadfan
02-19-2008, 12:25 PM
... He said neighbors have complained that the events effectively block off access to the divided highway from some side streets.

...

Frank Dunn, owner of Country Carpet, just off the highway near the crash site, told The Washington Post (http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=733&inform_keyword=The+Washington+ Post+Company) that in the past week to 10 days customers have been telling him that his store's parking lot had been full of cars in the middle of the night. He said one customer told him cars were being unloaded from trailers there in preparation for races.



This story has been bugging me since it came out, I'm saddened for the loss of life, but so much of it seems amazing to me.

Note the above, the police are claiming it's from "thin police presence" that the activity took place.

But lets think about it more logically, you have an event going on that attacts a crowd of 50+ people, crowded parking lots in the middle of the night, and a large highway being BLOCKED OFF for "races."

HOW MANY TIMES did this happen before this incident?

I find it difficult to fathom that such an organized event could occur so often, attract such a crowd, and yet not one person called the cops and not one cruiser happened to drive by.

The statistics of that seem very low to me - low that the police would never know about it.

Also, there is a sentiment in the articles that many of the people were talking about this like it was some sort of legal, sanctioned event. Comments such as how it was people's hobby, how it was a real race, etc.

And to think MIR is so close to that and they have sanctioned events ALL THE TIME.

Sad. Yet, stupid.


Part 2:


In addition, Ivy thinks using speed cameras are a good way to combat the illegal drag-racing issue.
"It seems like an optimal time to put something like that in," says Ivy. "The police can't be everywhere all the time. We don't have enough police on the streets in Prince George's County, unfortunately. You can't expect the police to sit (on Route 210) all day and all night waiting for a drag race to come by. That doesn't make sense."

And now this event which somehow no one noticed until it escalated into a life-ending event for 8 people, is spurring more discussion to put up speed cams.

Maybe the speed cams will help these "hobby racers" record accurate trap speeds?

merc6
02-19-2008, 01:19 PM
Those races have taken place many times I remember being there like 3 years ago when I was ridding shotgun of my buddys brand new Terminator. Everone would meet at food lion and eventualy made it to that spot. I was told then (hearsay) that cops would "push" racers to that section and thats why it has been going on for soo long. Nobody ever said anything about paying them off. I remember burnouts on the streets in broad daylight where it took 6-10 seconds to clear for me to proceed thru it. 1 of those times was after the flm meet in 06.


Also another credible link


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/02/16/ST2008021602560.html?sid=ST200 8021602560

airborne_mp84
02-19-2008, 03:39 PM
Whats even fishy-er...lol...Is that the racers are still at large and I am sure that 1 of those spectators know atleast one of those drivers...People in this area go by this "No Snitchin" rule:shake:. I also believe that the police in this area are going to "bother" any and everyone with a fast car too...Warn your fast and furious boys.or with crown vics MMs or caprices

offroadkarter
02-19-2008, 03:54 PM
Read about that, the only guy who did survive i think was the guy in the crown vic.

chico4554
02-19-2008, 04:10 PM
yea but he was in a car!

and i agree, who is taking their 3 yr old kid and 60 yr old father out at 3 in the morning? These people dont seem right.