Petition for Troy Critchley
Posted: July 15th, 2008, 2:34 pmPetition
If you don't know who he is, this is the story from June 19 2007:
If you don't know who he is, this is the story from June 19 2007:
news.com.au wrote:AUSTRALIAN driver Troy Critchley is facing a possible jail sentence over a US drag racing tragedy, but his race team has suggested police may be responsible for the crash which killed six young fans.
Critchley, a 36-year-old Queenslander, is being investigated by Tennessee authorities after his high-performance Corvette crashed during a "burnout" in a small Tennessee town, ploughing into a crowd unprotected by safety barriers. The community of Selmer, east of Memphis, wants to know how six of its young people, aged in their teens or early 20s, could be killed and more than 20 others injured at a charity event to raise money for disabled children.
"This is the highest priority in the state of Tennessee at this time," said Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety, David Mitchell, announcing the investigation. Promoters and local police who helped run the charity event could also face criminal charges.
Some locals called for Critchley to be jailed. "Driver was a total idiot and should be sent to prison," a blogger on The Tennessean newspaper's website wrote.
The tragedy occurred on Saturday night at the annual Cars for Kids charity event. Critchley and his AMS Racing Team donated their time to raise money for the charity, with one of the highlights of the night Critchley's burnout exhibition. The Australian driver, who moved to the US 10 years ago, is nicknamed "The Burnout King" by adoring American drag racing fans for his spectacular wheel spins. A four-lane road was blocked off and hundreds of Selmer locals lined the edge of the road, with most unprotected by safety barriers.
Amateur footage shows Critchley's black Corvette losing control, careering into the crowd and leaving a trail of bodies. Critchley had spent the past two days being interviewed by Tennessee authorities, his lawyer Bill Reed said. "He submitted a blood sample to prove he had no alcohol or drugs in his system," Mr Reed said.
Tennessee district attorney general Mike Dunavant, who will decide if anyone will be prosecuted, said Critchley could be charged. "It is certainly possible that he will," Mr Dunavant said.
Critchley, who lives in Texas, was not available to comment today and his website, www.troycritchley.com, was temporarily shut down. However, a long statement from his AMS Racing team eventually appeared on the website, telling fans the team was "shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic accident".
But the statement also pointed to the heavy involvement of local police in organising and running the burnout exhibition. "Selmer police officers blocked off the highway for the cars to perform the burnouts," the AMS Racing statement said. "The team understands that the Selmer Police Chief, Neal Burks, was present and in charge of crowd placement and blocking off the street. The drivers understood that the roadway had been inspected and approved for the burnout exhibition. Before Mr Critchley began the exhibition, two Selmer police cars travelled down the left and right of the roadway and instructed the crowd to move back."
The professional driver is said to be distraught and had texted to say he was "in shock, numb" over the tragedy, said his former race team boss in Australia, Victor Bray. "Physically I believe he is OK, mentally probably not so much," added Penny Wilhite, a friend of Critchley's and the manager of a Goodyear tyre store that adjoins the Australian's Texan headquarters.
Another friend, who declined to be named, said he was upset some people wanted to make Critchley a scapegoat. "He needs all the support he can get right now because there's a lot of people not supporting him," the friend said. "It's just a tragic accident."
Tennessee authorities have taken possession of Critchley's car. The investigation could take months to complete.
Critchley suffered dizziness and head pain after the crash but was released from hospital on Saturday night. "It's a difficult and emotional time, but he's handling it the best he can," his lawyer said.
