Feb. 20 (UPI) -- The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said a race car flipped and crashed into a crowd at Florida's Volusia Speedway Park, injuring three people.
The incident occurred Sunday at about 9:30 p.m. during a qualifying event for the DIRTcar World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series. Dale Blaney was driving into turn two of the half-mile oval track when his dirt car went airborne after a crash with two other drivers.
The car flipped upside down and crashed through a fence into a pit of people near the stands. Three spectators were severely injured and taken to Halifax Hospital in critical condition.
Ryan Williams, a spectator from Illinois, told the Orlando Sentinel he saw Blaney's car "catapult" into the air toward him.
"I've never taken off so fast," Williams said. "I hopped off then looked back and saw it come through the fence. It just leveled the people who were standing there. Completely leveled them."
Williams said he saw the car continue to roll after hitting the group of people, adding that he saw Blaney crawl out and start cursing.
"You could tell he was just sick to his stomach," Williams said. "It was a horrible accident. It was no one's fault. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
