Drag Strip accident?

[KU4WW]

Air Evac 7, 16 and 58 are presently landing near Selmer, Tn. where I understand a car his gone into the crowd. CentCom stated that they may send a fourth and fifth Air Evac to the scene. Air Evac 16 is landing in the "Ball Field" nearby - coordinates 34.09.67N 088.34.85W. CentCom mentioned that two "Wheaten?" units will be used also. Not sure if that is helicopters are what.

Jeff D.

 

[kirka127]

see this link.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19267840/

 

[Viper43]

Where is the common sense here? You don't do a burnout in a drag car on anything but a dragstrip where there is proper safety equipment to keep a car away from the spectators....this was just asking for trouble, and from the size of the crowd it sounds like it was pure luck more were not killed or injured than what they had.

V

 

[123]

THP Investigating Tragic Mishap in Selmer

Nashville, Tennessee --- The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating
the tragic mishap in Selmer, Tennessee Saturday night that resulted in
multiple fatalities and injuries during a parade at the Cars for Kids
charity event.

At the request of the Selmer Police Department, the Tennessee Highway
Patrol deployed investigators from the Critical Incident Response Team
(C.I.R.T) to conduct a thorough and complete reconstruction of the
crash. Investigators with the THP Criminal Investigation Division and
the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are assisting crash scene
investigators.

The crash occurred at approximately 6:30pm Saturday when one of the
modified race cars veered into a crowd of spectators. The driver of the
National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) approved race car is identified as
Troy Warren Critchley of Wylie, Texas. Critchley suffered minor
injuries in the crash and was transported by car to Hardeman County
General Hospital. At least five spectators have died from injuries
suffered in the mishap. Injured spectators were transported to five
area hospitals in Tennessee*McNairy Regional Hospital in Selmer, the
Regional Medical Center in Memphis, Jackson General Hospital in Jackson,
Tennessee Magnolia Hospital in Corinth, Mississippi and Vanderbilt
Medical Center in Nashville.

Cars for Kids is a charitable organization that raises money for
charities that benefit disabled children. One of the annual fundraising
events is a parade in Selmer, Tennessee.

The list of confirmed fatalities follows:

Raven Griswell, 15, Finger, TN died at scene
Sean Michael Driskill, 22, Adamsville, TN died at scene
Brook L. Pope, 20, Selmer, TN died at McNairy
Regional Medical Center
Scarlett Replogle, 15, Selmer, TN died at McNairy
Regional Medical Center
Kimberly A. Barfield, 17, Adamsville, TN died at Jackson
General Hospital

The list of injured is as follows:

VanderbiltMedical Center

Jason Mullins, 17, Stantonville, TN Jeannie Townsend,
27, Selmer, TN
Rodger Pitchford, 18, Bethsprings, TN Ginny B. King, 15,
Selmer, TN
Selina Kennedy, 15, Selmer, TN
Shane Smith, 19, Selmer, TN

JacksonGeneral Hospital

Brenda F. Taylor, 46, Selmer, TN
Aeriel K. Hickman, 15, Selmer, TN
Christopher Mettlen, 19, Selmer, TN
Codye J. Tomaszewski, 20, Selmer, TN
Michael Bishop, 20, Selmer, TN

MemphisMedical Center

Thomas Bernard
Sheila Sisk
Amy Driskill
Nicole Griswell

MagnoliaHospital, Corinth, Mississippi

Phillip Spence
Rouge-Jet Cloud

McNairyRegional Medical Center, Selmer, TN

Michael Smith, 43, Selmer, TN
Cindy Stevens, 17, Selmer, TN
Tiffany Stone, Michie, TN
Brandon Vanhoose, 5, Selmer, TN

If anyone has information about victims who have not been contacted by
the THP, they are urged to call the Jackson District at 1-731-421-5035
or 1-800-736-3993

If anyone has video or photographs, please contact the THP in Jackson,
TN at 1-800-736-3993.

 

[KU4WW]

After hearing the CentCom dispatcher state that it was at a dragstrip, I got my National Speedway Directory out, because I couldn't remember a dragstrip being in Selmer. I'm sure dispatch was under the assumption of this during the conversation when the drag car was mentioned. The victims and families are in my thoughts and prayers.

Jeff D.

 

[KU4WW]

CNN is showing film footage of the accident now!

Jeff D.

 

[Viper43]

I just saw it on Ch13 NBC in Indianapolis. Whoever had the brilliant idea to do that on a city street with no real safety for the spectators. There will be a lot of lawsuits over this, and it's too bad because it was a good cause, but good causes get blamed for a lot of things, even when it isn't their fault. Someone will take the fall, and it probably won't be the one who came up with this stupid idea of burnouts in an unsafe area.

V

 

[jasonpeoria911]

It was my understanding that this is a yearly thing in Selmer. It's to bad it took multiple deaths and serious injs for them to realize it wasn't all that safe.

Jason

 

[Viper43]

Yeah, I think it was the 8th time they did it. But common sense should say this isn't safe. It's too bad so many kids (injured and killed) were the ones to pay for some adults bad choices. It's also too bad that a good cause may end up taking the hit as well. In the long run it would have been smarter to hold the event at a real drag strip where they had proper spectator safety. Heck, some drag strips may have donated the place to them for the event, or at least cut them a good deal.

V