Tragedy at Bangkok Drag Avenue

November 22, 2008-- What a sad, sad day for Thailand, not only because of the loss of life, but because of the behavior of the police, track officials, and most especially the spectators afterwards.

The car was in the right lane and veered to the left as if it might have broken the left axle, hitting the concrete barrier on the left side of the racetrack at high speed. Although it was only 300 meters into the course, this was an _extremely_ powerful car with perhaps as much as 1500 horsepower running sub-9-second quarter mile times. I think it was about equivalent to a US NHRA Sport Compact class car. It could easily have been doing 150 miles per hour when it hit the wall. The initial impact toppled the 5000-pound concrete barrier, instantly turning it into a launch ramp causing the car to fly into the spectator area, heavily impacting several spectator cars and the people between them before returning to the track to rest upside down on the concrete barrier. I don't know how the driver could have survived the crash, as the final impact crushed the windshield pillar almost all the way into the driver's seat.

I actually participated in the event so I was mildly interested in the safety preparations, and I counted only one ambulance on and no helicopter. No more than five minutes before the crash I commented to my partner that there wasn't enough safety equipment further down the track, that they needed a 4-meter-high chain link fence with an inward curve at the top, and that I wouldn't go stand down there. I commented that if a dragster went into the crowd it could potentially kill over 100 people. She no doubt thought that I, as usual, was being overly risk-averse. Then BANG! Even before we heard any reports I said that was one of the worst crashes I've ever seen. After we heard the reports, I knew it was one of the worst crashes in world motorsport history, far worse than the famous Group B Portuguese Rally crash of 1986.

Once race officials knew the extent of the injuries they announced that the race was canceled, and hordes of specators jammed all access roads. It took a significant time before the squads of ambulances started arriving, perhaps twenty minutes or more. I saw traffic jams of ambulances immobilized by thoughtless spectators, with no efforts being made by track officials or police to clear the road. In the end I was running through the traffic jam, screaming at people to get out of the road so the ambulances could get through. Nobody moved. Not one person even pulled over.

Checking my camera's photo info, I see that the last photo before the crash was taken at 22:12, so the crash was at about 22:17. I have photos as late as 23:34, AN HOUR AND 17 MINUTES LATER, showing arriving ambulances stuck in traffic. But by then, all the remaining injured were dead.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Bangkok
• Drag
• Avenue
• crash
• accident
• race
• racing
• dead
• death
• injured
• injuries
• Thailand

[tomp64]

Many tracks in North America only have one ambulance and i'm not aware of any with helicopters. Usually more are called only if needed. The traffic holding them up is terrible. They should have been given clear passage.

Those same barriers are used at many tracks here too. They should be turned so the flat side (if there is one) faces the track so they can't act as a ramp. There shouldn't be spectators close to the barriers, usually here they are back ten to fifty feet if space allows.

[gogrampus]

Everything works right and now too many old people lives in my country.

They socially kill us all.

[fullnutta]

silly lil asians couldnt organise a fuck in a brothel let a lone anything else bahahahha

[AutumnPolitics]

fucking gooks nuke em all

[COSMICBUM]

The 'Thai' has no ethic or morale ground...anything goes, it is essentially a selfish and greed-crazed modern culture where 2+2=5.

The Farang gets pissed-off because in their world 2+2 = 4

Nothing will change here....Thailand is "amazing" and Thai people are "nice",but just don't let them through your door.

[LordReaper117]

also the people blocking the road aint very bright, hell fire some rounds into the air or something get those people out of the way, if i was the people that died in that crap i'd haunt thier asses

[LordReaper117]

hells bells what the hell is wrong with people you're at a race track where potential dangerous situations may occur and there's very few emergency personel now that is just stupid

[closethedoor11]

i would of softly run people over to get the guy to the hospital

[emergencydoctor1]

You are very right. When I was at Narenthorn no one would move for us. The King provided us with a police escort and that helped us get through the traffic, but very frustrating. Before now I have jumped out of the ambulance and run to the nearby scene xx Its good to see sensible comments by the way

Dr Anna

[britoca]

how many people died?