Texas drag race driver hits spectators

KERRVILLE, Texas – A driver lost control 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- 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, police said in a news release. The organized event was attended by thousands and 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,” Kerrville police said.

The injured victims were taken to various hospitals, including a 46-yearold woman who was listed in critical condition. The majority of the other injuries were not believed to be lifethreatening, although the condition of a 26-year-old man was unknown, authorities said. A 4-year-old boy and a 3-month-old girl were taken to a hospital for precautionary evaluations.

Authorities have not released the identities of the two children who were killed at the event, about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio.

Upward of 3,500 people were in attendance, said Louis Amestoy, a freelance journalist who was at the event.

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