SELMER, Tenn. - A drag-racing vehicle lost control during a parade and spun into a crowd of bystanders on Saturday night, killing four adults and injuring up to 15 people, authorities said.
Investigators were trying to determine what caused the vehicle to careen into the crowd at the Cars for Kids charity event in Selmer, located about 80 miles east of Memphis.
Scott Henley, of Selmer, witnessed the accident and said the vehicle started burning off its tires, then began to fishtail and slammed into a light pole before spinning around into the audience.
Selmer Police Chief Neal Burks said, "bodies were flying into the air when it happened."
Tennessee Highway Patrol spokesman Mike Browning said at least eight people were taken to three different hospitals in the region.
The identities of the victims and the driver, or the driver's condition, were not immediately known after the accident.
Browning said the vehicle has been described as a drag racing car, but he did not have more details yet about the vehicle.
McNairy County sheriff's officials and Selmer police began to close down the festival shortly after the accident. About 40,000 to 60,000 people were expected to attend the weekend event.
Cars for Kids holds several events throughout the nation and raises close to $200,000 per year for charities that help children in need, according to the charity's Web site.
Cars for Kids was formed in 1990, two years after founder Larry Price's son, Chad, was in a bicycle accident and suffered a severe head injury.
Price promised that if his son was saved from lifelong injuries, he would spend the rest of his life raising funds for disabled children, according to the Web site.
Price could not be reached for comment on Saturday night.
Sidenote: From what I can tell the guy was doing a burnout and lost control. The story is kind of misleading though because I can't tell if it was an actual Drag car maybe there for the parade or some one drag racing and doing a burnout.
Investigators were trying to determine what caused the vehicle to careen into the crowd at the Cars for Kids charity event in Selmer, located about 80 miles east of Memphis.
Scott Henley, of Selmer, witnessed the accident and said the vehicle started burning off its tires, then began to fishtail and slammed into a light pole before spinning around into the audience.
Selmer Police Chief Neal Burks said, "bodies were flying into the air when it happened."
Tennessee Highway Patrol spokesman Mike Browning said at least eight people were taken to three different hospitals in the region.
The identities of the victims and the driver, or the driver's condition, were not immediately known after the accident.
Browning said the vehicle has been described as a drag racing car, but he did not have more details yet about the vehicle.
McNairy County sheriff's officials and Selmer police began to close down the festival shortly after the accident. About 40,000 to 60,000 people were expected to attend the weekend event.
Cars for Kids holds several events throughout the nation and raises close to $200,000 per year for charities that help children in need, according to the charity's Web site.
Cars for Kids was formed in 1990, two years after founder Larry Price's son, Chad, was in a bicycle accident and suffered a severe head injury.
Price promised that if his son was saved from lifelong injuries, he would spend the rest of his life raising funds for disabled children, according to the Web site.
Price could not be reached for comment on Saturday night.
Sidenote: From what I can tell the guy was doing a burnout and lost control. The story is kind of misleading though because I can't tell if it was an actual Drag car maybe there for the parade or some one drag racing and doing a burnout.
