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Four killed in US drag car crash | Four killed in US drag car crash |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Four people have died and 15 been injured after a drag racing car spun out of control and hit a crowd of spectators in Tennessee, officials say. | Four people have died and 15 been injured after a drag racing car spun out of control and hit a crowd of spectators in Tennessee, officials say. |
The accident happened at the Cars for Kids charity event in Selmer, 130 km (80 miles) east of Memphis. | The accident happened at the Cars for Kids charity event in Selmer, 130 km (80 miles) east of Memphis. |
A witness, Scott Henley, told the Associated Press that, after burning off its tyres, the vehicle swerved into a pole and then spun into the crowd. | |
"Bodies were flying into the air," Selmer Police Chief Neal Burks said. | "Bodies were flying into the air," Selmer Police Chief Neal Burks said. |
Those killed were all adults, the authorities reported. At least eight of the injured have been taken to hospital in the surrounding area. | |
The race team is in shock and deeply saddened by this unexpected event AMS Pro Modified Series | |
The festival, which was expected to be attended by up to 60,000 people over the weekend, was shut down following the accident. | |
The AMS Pro Modified Series, which sanctions drag races, issued a statement saying the driver of the car had been a veteran of more than 20-years drag racing and that he had been taken to hospital after the accident. | |
The series said the driver had been performing an "exhibition burnout" - spinning the tires to make them heat up and smoke - when road conditions caused the car to lose control. | |
"The race team is in shock and deeply saddened by this unexpected event," it added. | |
"Their hearts and prayers are with the injured people and their families." | |
The Cars for Kids charity raises money for children with disabilities through a series of national car races and pageants. |