Two killed in crash at northern California race car track

GlobalPost

Two people were killed after a 17-year-old race car driver accidentally slammed his car into pit row at a Marysville, California race car track on March 16th, while he was completing warmup laps prior to the race.

The two spectator victims were a 68-year-old man who died on the scene and a 14-year-old boy who died later at the hospital, according to the Yuba County sheriff's office, wrote Fox 17 news.

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The victims were affiliated with one of the cars or drivers involved in the incident, wrote NBC, but the exact nature of the relationship wasn't known.

"He was trying to make the corner and he didn't make the corner and went flying off the exit," said race car track owner Paul Hawes to KCRA News. "It started tumbling and struck two people and a quad."

"It’s devastating. To come out to have a good time and fun and watch the people in the pits, but you never know what going to happen," said spectator Jack Hickison to KCRA of the accident. "Racing can be dangerous."

The Marysville Raceway Park had been hosting the California Sprint Car Civil War Series of races, but the March 16th evening races were canceled after the accident, said Reuters, which added that neither the driver nor anyone else involved in the incident was injured.

The town of Marysville is located roughly 40 miles north of Sacramento, which is the capital of California and located in the northern half of the state.

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