13 Responses to “Teen Injured In Freak Speedway Accident”

1. Rosie on April 12th, 2010 9:42 pm

   I am so relieved to know that the young boy was going to be okay me and my family prayed for him and his family. We we’re sitting to there right when the accident happen my son and daugher was sitting right in front of me and yes the dirt clogs we’re very large one hit my son and daugher if my son had not have thru his body toward my daughter she would have been hit close around the face area but instead my son to the hit to his top part of his hand its a little bruised but he is okay. And i do agree even if this was not on the track with this being what i seen a very serious accident they needed to hold the race up so the people could do there best to help the young boy. I hope they will use this as a lesson somehow and take in that they need to just hang tight on the track and let the people when a bad emergency happens like that do there job. We know when we go to these races that it can turn in to a longer nite. A life of someone is precious and more important than a car going around a track so little bit of time it takes to help someone i dont think it hurts. My daughter really got scared she went behind the bleachers for the rest of the racing said she didn’t want to come back but we told her she didn’t have to be that way it was just a terrible accident and we will just move down further on the bleachers from now on. I don’t know maybe than will come up with some ideas one day soon on how to keep something like that from happening again.

2. Angi on April 12th, 2010 4:57 pm

   Renee, I am so glad to hear that your nephew is alright.

3. Hogar on April 12th, 2010 1:50 pm

   First of all Renee I’m glad to hear your nephew is ok!

   Safebear you are wrong. I was sitting next to JJ and was the first one to get to the kid after it happened. I didn’t think it was that bad until he turned his head towards me and there was blood everywhere. I was right there when the fire chief told one of the officials to stop the race… multiple times. And races resumed until finally he sent someone to the flag stand to make them red flag it. There are several reasons why. One we couldn’t hear each other. People are trying to coordinate getting this kid in a next brace and on a backboard and no one could hear each other. But most important they were trying to coordinate with life flight and no one could hear the radios. I use to be a firefighter and for you to be a paramedic who wasn’t involved in caring for the patient I’m pretty shocked that you would say it wasn’t neccessary to stop the races when you have no clue what was going on.

   I race at five flags and during a race one night they red flagged our race. Someone in the stands had a heart attack and they had to life flight him out. We sat there until life flight took off and then went back to racing. I doubt very seriously there was anyone there that was upset about getting home 20-30 minutes later then they would have. And even though it’s extremely hot when your sitting in a race car with full gear on.. no one racing minded either.

   As for the ambulance at the track. No it’s not required. However it’s a very good idea. At five flags we don’t run if there isn’t an ambulance there. One night there was a bad wreck and the ambulance had to take someone to the hospital. We had to wait for another ambulance to get to the track before we could go back to racing. Personally I like knowing they are there when I’m on the track.

   And finally as far as the catch fence goes.. JJ is right on. It needs to be taller. I don’t blame the track at all. I’m sure nothing like this has happened before. However.. now that it has happened they need to insure that it doesn’t happen again. Considering how many cars I saw lose tires that night I think it’s extremely possible that this could happen again.

4. JJ on April 12th, 2010 10:02 am

   Quoted…. “Next, stopping the races was not necessary. The incident resulted from the race but was not on the track. There was no need for emergency vehicles to enter the track. If you had to stop a race anytime an emergency occurred in the stands, sometimes the race would never be able to be completed.”

   Well it’s strange then that the EMTs and Fire Chief asked the 1 track official that was over there multiple times to call the tower and tell them to stop the race because they absolutely could not hear each other…

   And your statement that they could never get a race completed because of emergencies in the stands, especially this serious, where LifeFlight had been called, makes watching races sound very dangerous. They have that many injuries on a normal basis then?

   Quoted…. “The fence is better than most places I’ve seen. If you decrease the grid of the wire, what happens when a rock comes through the fence and hits someone, then you’ll want a smaller grid.”

   If you read what I wrote, the huge clods came OVER the fence. We were only sitting about half way up in the stands. The new fence is pretty low. I just mentioned the size of the wire because they used a large grid with holes probably 5″x8″. You can get quite a large object through that. A half a brake rotor in the face is going to do quite a bit more damage than a small rock. Why not just use the regular smaller holed fencing like they use at all the other tracks like Southern, Five Flags, or Mobile International?

   My concern is not only for the fans, but for the track also. I’ve known Mr. Freddie McCall for years… It’s only going to take one lawsuit and this track would probably shut down, and might never open back up. Like I mentioned, I’ve driven race cars and also karts at Flomaton quite a few times through the years, and would like to do it again.

   Hey, I know if you are involved in racing, there’s always the chance for injury. I’ve been t-boned so hard in a hobby car it broke the frame where the roll-cage was welded to it… I’ve hit the wall and flipped a kart about about 70mph down the straightaway… (at Flomaton, btw)… working as a tire changer on a regional Nascar team, I’ve been hit by a lug nut slung out from under the car burning out of the pit stall…
   However, the danger should only be for the participants and crews… the fans need to be kept safe.

5. Splat on April 12th, 2010 9:38 am

   that last comment was quite insensitive, I bet you would be a little more concerned if it had been yourself or someone in your family. Someone said their was confusion because they couldn’t hear..so yes the race needed to stop.

6. Safebear on April 12th, 2010 6:54 am

   There is no requirement that an ambulance be at the racetrack 100% of the time. There are a number of volunteer firemen and emt’s at the races each week. Some them race and some of us watch. These are not paid personnel and if you had a wreck on the highway, these are the same people who would respond then as well.

   Next, stopping the races was not necessary. The incident resulted from the race but was not on the track. There was no need for emergency vehicles to enter the track. If you had to stop a race anytime an emergency occurred in the stands, sometimes the race would never be able to be completed. I do agree a yellow flag would have been appropriate and that an inspection of the fence and such done to assure it was still intact but a red flag wasn’t required.

   As far as safety, a previous writer has mentioned the improvements at the track. The fence is better than most places I’ve seen. If you decrease the grid of the wire, what happens when a rock comes through the fence and hits someone, then you’ll want a smaller grid. eventually you’ll have a concrete wall 40 feet high and everyone will watch the race on closed circuit tv. There is a risk anytime you go to a race and you need to pay 100% attention at all times while those cars are running.

   I am glad to see the improvements at the track and am glad the kid is doing well. As a paramedic who was not involved with the direct care of him, I did not think it was too bad but you never know. I didn’t see the size of the clump of dirt that hit him.

   Just be careful and pay attention every time you go to the races. Let me finish by saying I don’t work for the track but years ago when there was an ambulance at the races every week, I was always sitting in turn 4 waiting. I was there the night the guy was killed standing at the post in the pits. It is a lot safer now.

7. cindy on April 11th, 2010 3:57 pm

   I was there and I’m glad the boy is ok I. Tried to find out who he was to see if the family needed anything!

8. renee bullard on April 11th, 2010 12:48 pm

   This child is my nephew. He has been released from a Pensacola hospital and the Dr.’S say that he is going to be ok. He just has to be watched closley for dizziness and headaches.

   On behalf of the entire family I would like to say THANK YOU for all of your concers!!

9. Angi on April 11th, 2010 10:55 am

   OMG! This is terrible. First of all, I do hope that this person is ok; which I am sure that they aren’t a-ok after something like this happening. Second, I think that it was very disrespectful not to stop the races until this person was taken care of, and then they could have started back racing… I thought that there was an ambulance that was suppose to be there at all times during the races, if not; then there should be! Sounds to me that they need to make alot of safety changes at the speedway. I enjoy going there to watch them race, but this is so terrible about this person. Hope they recover from this.

10. JJ on April 11th, 2010 9:38 am

    Scary Situation!!

    He was sitting on the seat right behind me within 3′ of me…. we were sitting over right off turn 4… the ‘objects’ were huge rock hard dirt clods bigger than softballs that came hurtling over the fence. One of the them hit me right in the ribs and about knocked me over. If it had hit me in the head, I’d be the one in the hospital right now… I’m really surprised I don’t have a huge bruise this morning… another hit a man in the leg, sitting further down…

    As big and hard as they were, and fast as they were moving, the boy that was hit in the face is lucky to be alive. It knocked him flat on the floor of the bleachers, out cold for a couple minutes, and then he started having seizures. Then when the firemen/EMTs were trying to work on him, they kept running the races…. wouldn’t stop them…. causing lots of confusion, because the paramedics couldn’t hear…. FINALLY the fire chief DEMANDED they stop the race, and after about another 5 minutes of racing, they finally red-flagged the race until they were able to get the boy on a backboard and down from the bleachers to the ambulance… I really really hope he’s okay.

    Flomaton is making a lot of improvements to the speedway, adding a concrete wall, more bleachers, and other things. I believe extending the catch fence up a little ways and using a smaller grid on the fence wire would be a really good idea, and not that expensive in relation to all the work they are doing there.

    Also, I think they need a lot better communication and response to situations like this where someone in the stands is seriously injured. At that point, I wouldn’t worry about keeping the crowd happy by letting the race run… and would red-flag it until the ambulance has come and gone. Also, it took quite a while for the ambulance to get there, I’d think an ambulance on site would not be a bad idea.

    I’m glad Mr. Freddie McCall Sr. has purchased the track and is making improvements and we’ll have good racing back in this area… I’ve driven on this track quite a few times, and it’s a good little track. I just hope he takes notice and makes a few crowd safety improvements as well.

11. j on April 11th, 2010 9:37 am

    I was there, and it was really scary. I hope he is ok and things work out great for him, let god be with him in every way.

12. Big Al on April 11th, 2010 6:19 am

    Has anyone heard any more about the victum? .

13. mad on April 11th, 2010 1:20 am

    I hope he is ok and the people at tha track should have stoppedd tha races before they had to be asked!!!