Here's The Terrifying Moment A Car Smashed Into A Grandstand Full Of Spectators

During a round of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championships in Trinidad and Tobago, a car is seen launching over a small tyre wall and into a grandstand

Matt Robinson

26 Jul 2016

This horrific accident at Wallerfield race circuit left the driver and three spectators with serious injuries, although they are now reported to be in a stable condition. Jameer Ali, Vice President of the Trinidad and Tobago Automobile Sports Association (TTASA), described the crash as a “freak accident,” and has suggested that the grandstand may be moved to another location. However, what concerns us more than the location of the stand is the pitiful unreinforced tyre wall at the edge of the circuit, which doesn’t even look adequate enough for a kart track.

Unfortunately, it seems safety motorsport standards in the country are particularly low. If you have a search for better quality videos shot at Wallerfield, you’ll find that tiny tyre walls and a lack of catch fencing are common themes at the track.

Source: Loop via Motor1

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

It’s a miracle no one died from that O.o

Yeah, thank god it wasn’t a mustang

As someone who lives in the Caribbean (Jamaica Specifically) and has raced my little subie around Dover, Jamwest speedway and rented cars to go around Wallerfield (Trinidad) and Bushy Park ( Barbados) i can say this is a once in a lifetime accident. Reason why there are such little safety constraints is because none of the cars ever go above the speed needed to budge these tyre walls much or even do something like this if they drive with any common sense. Coming down into this corner from the long straight most race cars these guys have don’t even hit 100, and since a lot of them in the class 2 section (which it looks like these guys are in) are FWD civics and starlets they brake real early and just ride it through. This is pretty much a flugplats situation for us and i wonder how if this is driver error, which would mean he’s a really dumb driver to have an off there trust me , or if the car had brake failure which would mean the team’s mechanics are gonna have to explain some things.