Depending on the severity of the collisions in which they were involved, Fayetteville auto accident victims’ recoveries can be painfully slow. Often, the emotional effects of car crashes compound their physical consequences, making recuperation even more difficult. Car accidents are serious enough when they involve one or two vehicles on a regular two-lane highway. In a high-speed situation on a racetrack, however, the danger is magnified significantly.
For dozens of fans in the stands at the Daytona International Speedway on Saturday Feb. 23, 2013, these hazards were suddenly magnified when NASCAR greenhorn Kyle Larson’s car slammed into a safety fence. Spectators on both the upper and the lower levels, including a North Carolina man, were hit by debris as the front end of the vehicle disintegrated. A piece of the car’s burning engine was later extracted from the fence with a forklift.
The accident was apparently caused by driver Regan Smith’s alleged attempt to block fellow driver Brad Keselowski’s bid for the checkered flag. While racing veteran Tony Stewart managed to squeeze through the gap and win the Nationwide Series race, Larson’s vehicle collided with Keselowski’s, sending the rookie driver’s car soaring into the stands.
According to the Angier resident’s wife, the impact sent a tire flying into the man, knocking him out in the process. The woman’s husband, who had attended races at the Daytona location for a decade, was not immediately identified because of his unresponsive state. In total, more than 30 fans were injured in the crash; approximately a dozen, including the unconscious North Carolina man, were taken to the nearby Halifax Medical Center.
Crashes like the one at Daytona are rare, but certainly not unheard of. Injuries, and occasionally fatalities, do occur at sporting events; it can be in attendees’ best interests to bear this risk in mind as they plan their excursions. Individuals injured in event-related accidents may be entitled to compensation to help offset the physical and emotional costs of their experiences.
Source: WRAL.com, “Angier man among fans injured in Daytona crash,” Renee Chou and Kevin Holmes, Feb. 23, 2013