Texas drag racer hits crowd; 2 kids die

KERRVILLE, Texas — A driver lost control of his car during a Texas drag-racing event on an airport runway and slammed into a crowd of spectators, killing two children and injuring eight other people, authorities said.

A 6-year-old boy and an 8-year-old boy were killed in the crash Saturday at an event called “Airport Race Wars 2” at the Kerrville-Kerr County Airport, about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio, police said. The event involved drivers speeding down a runway as they competed for cash.

The driver “lost control and left the runway, crashing into parked vehicles and striking spectators who were observing the races,” police said.

The victims were taken to various hospitals, including a 46-year-old woman who was listed in critical condition. The majority of the other injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

Authorities have not released the identities of the two children who were killed.

The Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau’s promoted the event as an “action packed, family-friendly day” in which fans could watch the “fastest drag cars compete for over $8000 in total prizes.”

Upwards of 3,500 people were there, said Louis Amestoy, a freelance journalist who was at the event.

The race was one-eighth of a mile long, and water-filled plastic barriers lined the course. But Amestoy said they didn’t extend past the finish line, leaving no protection between spectators and cars as they were slowing down at the end of the race.

Spectators could get within about 15 feet of the track, and many watched the race from lawn chairs in the absence of stands.