Dragcar loses control, kills 6 (update sign the petition)

[DoreSlamR]

I didn't see the 60 minutes piece, nor did I really want to, I just have a question to those that did see the show.
What angle were they going with the incident? was there any bias in the story at all?

[FlipXW]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

I didn't see the 60 minutes, piece, nor did I really want to, I just have a question to those that did see the show.
What angle were they going with the incident? was there any bias in the story at all?

Not really any bias. They interviewed Troy and a mother who lost 2 kids in the incident. Both with an opposing side to the story. It was pretty clear that Troy is still shattered by the events and that the mother wants him hung out to dry.

[HOEBAG]

Did anyone notice the car he lost!?

More to the point. It's everyones fault.
Event should have been organised
Crowd should know their risks standing next to a highway with a friggin nitro car go past u within a few metres
They also said that all the drivers were told it met the inspections fine!

[ILLaViTaR]

Why are you all so surprised that he was charged?

It's America for God sake. nonsensical charging and suing is what they thrive off.

[DoreSlamR]

Originally Posted by PhilXR8

Not really any bias. They interviewed Troy and a mother who lost 2 kids in the incident. Both with an opposing side to the story. It was pretty clear that Troy is still shattered by the events and that the mother wants him hung out to dry.

Cheers for the reply, 60 minutes usually get it right, just thought they might have gone with the witch hunt, which is why i didn't want to see the show.

[OJ_Pursuit]

What a terrible thing to have to live with, I really feel for Troy and his family.
There is no way he could have avoided that accident, and then to add insult to injury he is charged and sued.
I think the interview with the victims mother was a bit soft, I mean did they ask her if she felt it was safe for her children to be so close? Was she next to them? Did she get injured herself?
Obviously its an awful situation for both sides, but to be fair the victims should be directing their anger and resentment at the parties that organised the event and themselves for not taking due care.

[ltd]

From a legal standpoint the event organisers were the negligent party, they failed in their duty of care to the spectators by allowing them into an area unprotected, and by also organising the sequence of events. This probably won't get up in court. As for the mother, I can empathise with her but believe she is failing to see the bigger picture as to the contributory factors of the accident. Troy did not place her children there, he did not deliberately crash his vehicle there and he also didn't organise the event and its safety; hardly something he should be sent to prison for.

As for the law suits filed against Troy, they will probably be dropped once the actual authorities are questioned about their negligence in organising the event, and the civil suits will be filed against them as they have greater access to the funds sought (on the order of 100 million according to 60 minutes).

[Bearman]

The organizers should be wearing this one, not Troy. When I first heard about this happening my first thought was why did he go through with this run seeing there were no barriers?? I would imagine a professional driver would have considered a drag car and no barriers should equal no run!! This to me is a nagging question but at the end of the day the organizers gave him the green light to do the run so the responsibility rests with them.

Unfortunately being the good 'ole USA I fear Troy is going to jail and his family will end up living in a cardboard box. It was heartbreaking watching the 60 minutes article seeing how much Troy has suffered. He'll be going through hell forever regardless of the legal outcome. This was just a dreadful accident.

[OLDFORDNUT]

The chief of Police organised the whole safety aspect and crowd control yet charged Troy, and you think now when court case is near the Police will put there hand up ,your kidding yourselves.they are useing Troy as their scapegoat.
A friend just got back from trip to China where in a huge market place with wires dangling at face hight,path with some blocks sticking up over 3 or 4 inches he saw a big Yank tourist fall over and cut his knee,bloke jumps up squeeling like a pig and screaming out for manager as he is going to sue them,my mate said he walked up to him and told him to stop acting like a F-wit as everyone else walked over the said block for the last two hundred years and anyway the market is huge and no one speaks English so act like a man and go back to your hotel and clean yourself up as your embarrassing all us white's,this is what Troy is facing (people not taking responsability for their own actions)GOOD LUCK TROY

[gtxb67]

i do not wish anymore pain for troy. he has gone through enough already. no matter who gets charged or convicted, nothing is going to change what happened
alot of people are suggesting responsibility for actions though. who was driving the vehicle. would the accident have occurred if no one was driving it
i certainly think he would have suffered enough and hope nothing more comes from it, but troy was responsible for the car losing control and therefore the accident happening. if there was no accident, it does not matter where the other people were watching from

[ebxr8240]

The organisers would have had insurance to cover anything like this ??
OR should have!!
I remember a while back a lot of events couldn't happen here due to insurance costs etc..Here in Aussie.. So IMO the initial response should be at them.. Then work there way back...
There's been a lot of ducking and weaving here.. I can't see the police authorities sending a summons to court to themselves though??
One part that got me alittle is when he said he couldn't face the familes of the accident..Yes it would be hard! But it would be better if he did.. Easy for me to say though!!

[sly_ba]

There are 3 parties to balme for these events, namey; Troy, the spectators and the event organisers. Each played a contributing part, albeit marginal in some instances, to the tragedy that unfolded.

I do feel for Troy, however, sitting in the car, looking down the road and seeing all of those people standing so close with nothing between them and the car, should have been enough for him to decide not to make the run. As it has been said, it does not matter what car was making the run, there is always that element of uncertainty which any reasonable person should have picked up on.

A dragster like Troy was in control of are unpredictable at best. One bump in the road or a blown tyre may have resulted in a similar outcome. What if the motor self destructed and people were killed by shrapnel?? I guess the real question is would Troy have made that same run down a ligitimate drag strip if it were lined with spectators down both sides?? Obviously not. Would I have made that run in a high powered go-kart, no!

Again, I do really feel for the guy, its heart breaking. However, I believe that somone with his professional expereince should have been aware, in the moment before he made the decision to make that run, that what he was about to do was fraught with unacceptable risk and unnecessary danger to the spectators.

A portion of responsibility alos rests with the spectators (or in the case of children then their parents) in that they should have also recognised that a dragcar running down a road at high speed with no affording protection is not the safest situation to put yourself in.

The largest degree of responsibility rests with the organisers responsible for spectator safety. Dont even get me started on them.........

[Bossxr8]

I'm sure if something like that event was run in Australia that it wouldn't have been allowed to run unless there were concrete barriers down either side, how the hell the event got the go ahead in the US is just beyond me, its simple common sense. :

The organisers should be taking the brunt and the police chief who was supposed to be organising the safety.

[troppo]

For those who are suggesting he should've pulled out after seeing the safety standards (or lack thereof), it's all well and good to sit at home with 20/20 hindsight and make that call, but how many of you apply that thinking yourselves on a daily basis?

Hands up all those who do a thorough 'pre-flight inspection' each and every time you hop in the car.
I know I don't and I doubt anyone who claims to with their daily driver, but I'm prepared to bet Troy did with the drag car.

Hands up all those who pause to consider 'today is the day I might get hit by a bus' each time you drive.
Again, I don't, but it doesn't negate the fact that is a very real possibility every time I get in the car. Why don't I? Simply because I've been for thousands of drives and it hasn't happened yet, so I think the odds of it happening are slim enough to not really think about it. The saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt, but it still doesn't change the fact today could be that day, or tomorrow, or any day. Troy had done thousands of burnouts and the car was in good condition so, like us, he had no reason to suspect that day was going to be THE day.

Troy is something of a legend in drag racing circles in the US and was the top drawcard for the day in question. What do you suppose the reaction of the crowd would've been if he HAD pulled out? Those people paid good money to see Troy do his thing and my hunch is he would've been crucified by the crowd and media had he elected not to go through with the run. He'd still be in a better position than he is currently, no argument there, but he would've had a severe hit to his and his team's reputation had he taken that path. How happy would you be to pay goood money to see a top ranked boxer only to have him pull out because he didn't like the look of the ringside ropes? It wouldn't be far short of a riot, I suspect and you'd be bagging him for the rest of his days.

While I feel sorry for the mother who was interviewed on the show, no parent should outlive their children, she needs to realise that no amount of jail time is going to bring back her girls. Incarceration is generally considered a means of prevention for people likely to repeat an offence. Troy's self imposed driving ban makes that possibilty extremely unlikely, therefore sending him to jail isn't going to change a thing. How often do we hear bereaved family saying they want the death of the family member to serve as an example so that it can never happen again to someone else's family? Sending Troy to jail does not fit that scenario, she has made this a personal vendetta and wants revenge, not a safer world. I'm a bit disappointed the journo didn't make this particular point.

[Gambit]

Here is a petition for Troy if anyone wants to sign it...

http://www.teambrayracing.com/newsit...f/petition.php

[SBR_1]

I saw the articel.How would it have been if it was on the other cars, i mean they say they want to see him suffer, god the poor guy has to live with it the rest of his life. This was pure and simple an accident, a guy of his talent who have done(im sure) everything in his power to corrent the car, these things just cant be 100% safe all the time, like when you go to an "offical" drag strip the papers say" motorspot is a dangeous sport" He had given his time for the day the least they could to is try make things safe. I mean i know how the families feel, having loved ones get hit and killed by a car and the person getting away with it makes you so p***d off, but there is doing things by accident with legit reasons(troy) and there is doing things with no reason wat so eva...

[BADEF-6]

you would think that the organizers would of put up barricades after all its not a street car its a full blown drag car. i dont see the point in throwing him in jail for 90 years, he has to live with that every time gets into a car of any kind for the rest of his life.
When a 2 or 3000hp powered car can do 300mph grips during a burnout there is not much anyone can do not even the operator.
2 Years ago a guy was killed when a blower belt snapped on a topfueler and got him in the head. The driver walked away even tho he stuffed a family up for good.
I know when i go to a drag event or even compete in one im risking eather crashing or getting debris from a car crashing against a wall but they did not have a simple concrete barrier in place. HOW DUMB CAN YOU BE

[Fev]

Originally Posted by KenLee

Harsh, but true. Maybe race horses instead of cars.

what kind of dumb comment is that?! have you ever driven somthing with over 3000hp which is meant to do sub 5sec passes?! If you lose it in one of these nitro cars there is almost no chance of saving it... especially when your doing 140mph+

[SpoolMan]

Here is a link to Victor Brays website, please sign the petition.
http://www.teambrayracing.com/newsit...on.php?msg=ADD



SUPPORT TROY CRITCHLEY



A group of Australian drag racers led by Troy’s former team principal, Victor Bray wish to hand a petition to the Australian Prime minister, Mr. Kevin Rudd which will contain signatures and names of racers, track officials, management and fans that are concerned for the future of Troy Critchley and would like to see the Australian government give whatever support available to ensure Troy has every opportunity during this testing time while he is in the hands of the American legal system. Troy currently is facing numerous very serious charges under Tennessee law.

By taking this action we as Troy's extended racing family don't want to belittle the tragedy that occurred in Selmer and we as a group along with Troy wish to extend our deepest sympathies to those who lost loved ones, the injured, their families and anyone adversely affected by the tragedy. We just want to ensure Troy has access to the best help and advice to assist him though these very difficult times.

Over the years the Australian government has supported publicly Australian citizens when facing the legal system of foreign countries. Mostly this has occurred when illegal activity has taken place. Troy Critchley has not attempted any illegal activity nor intentionally broken any laws. He is simply a decent Aussie bloke caught up in an extremely bad situation. Troy has been commended by many observers throughout his ordeal for his cooperation with authorities and for making himself available on request to assist in the investigation.


By signing the petition you are simply showing support for Troy. We understand that while in the hands of the American legal system in Tennessee that the Australian government may have little or no prospects to aid Troy in his defense however all we are asking is that the appropriate government officials keep themselves abreast of the situation and give advice and help when warranted.

If you wish to assist in our endevours to ensure the Australian government give whatever support possible to Troy please sign the petition on the website..
http://www.teambrayracing.com/newsit...on.php?msg=ADD

[schnoods]

Organisers were negligent to the safety side of things.

All honesty though, Troy will never be the same and this incident will haunt him, I doubt he will ever race again let alone be in the scene.

I still think that being the professional he is, he would have used better judgement and made a decision based on his expertise and experienced.

I certainly would have thought twice at least especially being inside the car and looking down the road with spectators either side for half a km up, with a couple thousand HP at the mercy of your right foot.

America being america will probably give him 5 years...

[ltd]

Imagine for a second that you are driving your ford down the road, and all of a sudden for some inexplicable reason it swerves hard to the left and runs into a family of 6 killing them all; then imagine the police arriving at the scene arresting you and saying you will be charged for manslaughter for each count. Then imagine sitting idly for 2 years awaiting a court case. Those who cannot empathise with the suffering this man is enduring whilst probably shouldering the blame of a whole town are either ignorant or stupid. I can think of a thousand scenarios where ordinary people are caught in circumstances beyond their control yet are faced with criminal liability for it. Troys fate will be decided by a jury, not a town in Tennesee nor an internet site; hopefully being well versed in the facts will allow the jury to make the right decision and acquit.

[Mont5.0]

Petition Signed.

[TZENU]

Unfortunately, to the Americans, the easiest person to point the finger at is Troy.. We can only hope that when he faces the jury they understand the situation that Troy was and is in now..
I cannot begin to understand the pain and trauma that those parents who lost their kid's are going through and can somewhat understand that they want someone brought to justice, but putting the blame solely on Troy IMO is totally unfair..

EDIT: Petition Signed

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by TZENU

Unfortunately, to the Americans, the easiest person to point the finger at is Troy

while i do not understand the finer points of a court room (having never been in one), troy was the driver. if no one drove the vehicle the accident would not have happened. the other problem for troy is that the law does not hand down percentage points when blaming people. if troy has been negligent, he will be charged. if the organiser were negligent they will be charged separately. whether they have been charged or not is irrelevant for troy's situation
the fact the organisers should have planned it better, or the spectators should not have been there has no effect on whether the car was driven or not. since the car was driven, the driver is responsible for his actions 100%. the organisers are responsible for their actions 100%, not for driving the car or watching the demonstration. the spectators are only responsible for watching and that was not a crime. they were allowed to be there
the only time other parties being negligent would matter is if and when it becomes a civil case

having said that, i do hope he gets off. he has already suffered enough i would think. sending him to jail will not make everything better. it will just make some things worse

[InfernoSR]

Signed...

[Sam_Boss260]

Yep signed.

[OJ_Pursuit]

Signed, link forwarded to everyone I know....

[Assassinbm]

Organiser needs the boot........signed

[tex]

Signed, and my thoughts are with the family / friends of the deceased, and also the driver.

the organisers should be held accountable, not just the driver. Infact, IMO the organisers are MORE culpable than the driver.

[compact]

i just found the link and have put it onto a couple other sites as well...its good to see its heer and allready getting signatures

i so feel for this guy....yes a mistake...but what a thing to live with let alone what they are putting him through:(