WTF: 8 die in maryland watching street race
02-16-2008, 04:01 PM
#1
WTF: 8 die in maryland watching street race 8 Die As Car Hits Md. Street-Race Crowd
ACCOKEEK, Md.,
A car plowed into a crowd that had gathered to watch a drag race on a suburban road early Saturday, killing eight people and injuring at least five, police said.
Police said the white sedan was not involved in the street race but accidentally drove into the crowd of about 50 people that had spilled onto the highway to watch two racing cars speed off.
"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."
Gaines said the car did not have its lights on, but police could not confirm that.
The white sedan hit people standing on the side of Route 210 around 3:40 a.m., Prince George's County Police Cpl. Clinton Copeland said. 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."
The victims ranged in age from their 20s to 60s, police said. Seven people were pronounced dead at the scene, and an eighth died later at a hospital.
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, Police Capt. Donald Frick said. Police said a body found in the car was one of the spectators and not a passenger as they had previously reported.
According to police, two cars had lined up for a race on the smooth and relatively flat and straight stretch of highway. They spun their wheels, kicking up smoke, then sped off, Copeland said.
The crowd then moved into the road to watch the cars drive away. The combination of the smoke and the dark morning likely meant the driver of the approaching white sedan could not see the crowd. No charges were pending.
Authorities were looking for the drivers of the two cars involved in the race.
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. In that area, the road is flanked by some businesses but has little traffic in the early hours, Copeland said.
Frick said it's common in the summer for police to deal with reports of motorcycles racing on the highway, which is relatively smooth with long straightaways, but he said they have not had as much of an issue with cars.
This is why I stopped street racing
ACCOKEEK, Md.,
A car plowed into a crowd that had gathered to watch a drag race on a suburban road early Saturday, killing eight people and injuring at least five, police said.
Police said the white sedan was not involved in the street race but accidentally drove into the crowd of about 50 people that had spilled onto the highway to watch two racing cars speed off.
"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."
Gaines said the car did not have its lights on, but police could not confirm that.
The white sedan hit people standing on the side of Route 210 around 3:40 a.m., Prince George's County Police Cpl. Clinton Copeland said. 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."
The victims ranged in age from their 20s to 60s, police said. Seven people were pronounced dead at the scene, and an eighth died later at a hospital.
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, Police Capt. Donald Frick said. Police said a body found in the car was one of the spectators and not a passenger as they had previously reported.
According to police, two cars had lined up for a race on the smooth and relatively flat and straight stretch of highway. They spun their wheels, kicking up smoke, then sped off, Copeland said.
The crowd then moved into the road to watch the cars drive away. The combination of the smoke and the dark morning likely meant the driver of the approaching white sedan could not see the crowd. No charges were pending.
Authorities were looking for the drivers of the two cars involved in the race.
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. In that area, the road is flanked by some businesses but has little traffic in the early hours, Copeland said.
Frick said it's common in the summer for police to deal with reports of motorcycles racing on the highway, which is relatively smooth with long straightaways, but he said they have not had as much of an issue with cars.
This is why I stopped street racing
02-16-2008, 05:23 PM
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3:40 AM!!!! WTF, how many damn people could be up that early to see street racing! This just blows my mind, makes me sick to my stomach. The girl they kept quoting was 27 so lets assume her kid is 5...who has a 5 year old up at 3:40 AM at a street race!!!!!!!!!!!!! most of this is so shockingly stupid, i cant even believe it actually happened.
02-16-2008, 06:53 PM
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I saw this on our local news web site and i figured people would be talking about it on here. You guys are thinking all the same things I was when I read this.
1. what the heck were they standing in the middle of the street for?
2. what was a young child doing out in all that, and at that time of the day?
3. what if anything are they going to do to those people who were racing if they find them? They better not charge them with murder because the others were dumb enough to stand in the street.
I feel bad for all the families that have to deal with the the death of their loved ones. May God be with them.
1. what the heck were they standing in the middle of the street for?
2. what was a young child doing out in all that, and at that time of the day?
3. what if anything are they going to do to those people who were racing if they find them? They better not charge them with murder because the others were dumb enough to stand in the street.
I feel bad for all the families that have to deal with the the death of their loved ones. May God be with them.
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02-16-2008, 08:53 PM
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People that stand in the middle of the roads at races are retarded, nonethless a very sad situation. What kills me is that 27 yr old had her child at the races, what kind of mother does that?? 
02-16-2008, 09:38 PM
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i know that it is a good street racing spot, been there many times cops just sit in a parking lot not even id say 100 yards from there. the problem is on the weekends there are some seriously high horsepower cars that come out and race for loads of cash, like 10k and up! during the week you will get a few races nothing as serious. but the weekends people want to see the fast cars and as cold as it has been i dont go, thankfully. during the week i have never seen anyone stand on the road like what they are saying, and i have seen way more than 50 people go to that exact spot to watch the races and nothing even remotely close has ever happened!
02-16-2008, 10:31 PM
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i talked to someone who was there the told me the police was chaseing the car and that maybe the reason why they cut there lights off after the cars launch poeple get in the street to watch the go down the road the cars were 8.0 8.1x cars-Tony
02-16-2008, 10:51 PM
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Street racing with spectators around. I understand it was not a car involved racing that did the damage but it was the event. Somebody is in deep trouble for this one IMO...
Why the hell are 8.0/8.1x cars street racing on a 30* night anyway? Thats pretty dumb in itself...
02-17-2008, 12:43 AM
#16
Yup, at the track, on good track prep with nice sticky tires for SAFETY.
That mother is a real class act...bringing her own child out to something like that...at an hour like that...and HER FATHER was among the dead...what the hell are families like that thinking?
That mother is a real class act...bringing her own child out to something like that...at an hour like that...and HER FATHER was among the dead...what the hell are families like that thinking?
02-17-2008, 01:57 AM
#18
Exactly, for this very reason (among others) I never stood in the road during these activities to begin with actually.
I can understand how one might think that there won't be too many other cars on the road a 4am but ya never assume, people really need to think/act more logically.
But regardless of all that and without getting into a whole debate on the dangers of street racing (it's ALL been stated and rehashed before), this is just a sad and horrible tragedy and could've/should've been avoided. 
I can understand how one might think that there won't be too many other cars on the road a 4am but ya never assume, people really need to think/act more logically.
But regardless of all that and without getting into a whole debate on the dangers of street racing (it's ALL been stated and rehashed before), this is just a sad and horrible tragedy and could've/should've been avoided.
02-17-2008, 11:13 AM
#20
The saddest part, or parts are A; theres a mom out there teaching her child that this type of behavior is ok, and B; this **** wont stop, even after something like this.
They need to start taking cars and not giving them back. Who want to loose an 8 second car for some dumb **** like that?
Child services needs to pay that mom a visit.
They need to start taking cars and not giving them back. Who want to loose an 8 second car for some dumb **** like that?
Child services needs to pay that mom a visit.