8 Dead, 6 Injured in Street Racing Crash
posted 5:39 pm Sat February 16, 2008 - Accokeek, Md.
A witness said two cars in the illegal street race sped past just before a car without its lights on came up behind the crowd of about 50.
"There were just bodies everywhere; it was horrible," said Crystal Gaines, 27, whose father was among the dead.
Gaines said she grabbed her child but could not help her father, William Gaines Sr., 61.
"He wasn't breathing, he wasn't moving," she said. "His body was in pieces."
A white sedan hit people standing on the side of Route 210 around 3:40 a.m., Prince George's County Police Cpl. Clinton Copeland said, but it wasn't clear whether that was one of the cars involved in the race. A tractor-trailer that came by shortly afterward may also have struck someone on the road as it tried to avoid the crash, he said.
"It's probably one of the worst scenes I've seen," Copeland said. "This is a situation that could have been avoided, and it's a very tragic situation."
Four people were taken to hospitals, Copeland said. Their conditions weren't immediately known.
Hours after the accident on the divided highway in Accokeek, bodies covered in white sheets were scattered along what police were calling a 200-yard crime scene. Some were in the road, while others were on the shoulder.
The sedan came to a rest on an embankment about 150 feet from where the crowd had been. It had a crumpled front and hood, and the roof had partially collapsed.
The driver of the white sedan had been interviewed and did not appear to be seriously hurt, but a passenger was among the dead, Police Capt. Donald Frick said.
Authorities were working to identify the victims by showing digital photos of them to bystanders who said loved ones had been hurt. John Courtney said after viewing one of the images that his brother, Mark, 33, was among the dead.
"He liked going to the race track, watching races," Courtney said. "It's going to take a toll on my family for a long time."
Investigators had "more questions than answers," Copeland said.
Route 210 has two lanes in each direction and traffic lights about every 150 to 200 yards in Accokeek, about 20 miles south of Washington. In that area, the road is flanked by some businesses but has little traffic in the early hours, Copeland said.
Frick said it's common in the summer for police to deal with reports of motorcycles racing on the highway, which is relatively smooth with long straightaways, but he said they have not had as much of an issue with cars.
Latest Comment on 8 Dead, 6 Injured in Street Racing Crash
NDM
12:15 pm on 02/19/08
Can someone tell me why I should feel sorry for adults ages 30+ who stand in the middle of a dark road at 3:00 a.m. to watch cars illegally race? I would expect this from a group of 17 year-olds, but not a 61 year-old man! C'mon!
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