A night of junior sprint racing at I-44 Speedway in southwest Oklahoma City turned terrifying Friday when a child's race car flipped on the track and erupted in flames, leaving the young driver with burn injuries and prompting a frantic rescue effort in front of stunned spectators.
Emergency crews rushed onto the dirt oval and worked on the track for several minutes to free the child from the burning car before transporting the youngster to a nearby hospital for treatment. Race officials and investigators are now trying to piece together exactly what went wrong.
What officials said
According to News 9, a junior-sprint car flipped during the race and then caught fire, injuring the child, who was taken to a nearby hospital with burn injuries. Investigators are working to determine what caused the crash, and the station reports that track officials are cooperating with first responders as the probe continues.
Emergency response and location
Oklahoma City station KOCO reported that fire crews responded to the wreck near Southwest 149th Street and Interstate 44, and that one person was hospitalized. The station noted that, in the initial updates, authorities did not release details about the patient's condition.
Track safety and past fires
The crash has stirred memories of earlier fiery wrecks at the same facility. NBC Sports documented a 2008 incident at I-44 Riverside in which a sprint car flipped, caught fire and left a young driver with severe burns.
The track's public rulebook, which lists the facility at 4100 SW 149th St, warns that participation in racing carries inherent risks and that safety cannot be absolutely guaranteed, according to the I-44 Speedway rulebook.
Investigations underway
Investigators are continuing to examine the wreck and what led up to it, News 9 reported. Emergency responders told the station it took several minutes to get the child out of the burning car before medical crews transported the youngster to the hospital. Authorities have not released the child's name or provided further medical updates.
This story will be updated as officials release more information about the crash and the injured child's condition.
