Troy Critchley has been charged....

[powerjames]

I just read that Aussie drag racer Troy Critchley has been charged with homicide for the horrible accident that occurred last year at a Cars for Kids charity event in Tennessee last year.

If you guys don't know what happened, Troy is a Pro Mod driver and was there as part of the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod team and was not paid to attend.

As part of the burnout exhibition his Pro Mod car went out of control and killed 6 people, as well as injuring 22 others.

A few days ago they just released that in Tennessee court, Troy will be facing trial for the six deaths via homicide with a vehicle due to recklessness and 22 counts of reckless aggravated assault for those people who were injured.

He's also being sued by the families/relatives of the victims and the people who were hurt.

Obviously, this is a terrible, terrible situation. However, I have this really bad feeling about what is happening to Critchley. I mean, the guy was there to help promote the charity. He wasn't paid. It was an accident, a horrible, horrible, accident. The police were there to provide crowd control and to keep the area safe.

Yes, his foot was on the throttle, but he was only one of many people involved in this horrible accident.

Why must his life by any more ruined than it already is and add his life to other loss of life? Obviously, the kids and people who lost their lives, that is a terrible tragedy which words cannot describe. But why cannot they mourn together. This guy isn't a murderer..

Why in our society must there always be someone that has to "pay" for the loss of life. Why the lawsuits.. how is that going to change anything? This is a guy who is a professional driver who made a mistake in judgement/driving control but had only the best of intentions..

I'm just upset...thoughts?

[blue92notch]

Don't expect people to understand anything other than the fact that kids died. that's just the ugly reality.

you know how people are, the typical reaction from somebody is that drag racers are kind of renegades to start with. it doesn't surprise me at all that the are going to charge the driver, and i bet he has a difficult time getting a fair trial also.

[powerjames]

I have really mixed feelings about this.

Obviously, doing a burnout at 100 mph on a city street with a Pro-Mod doesn't pass the "reasonable" test.

Guess somebody has to pay for it. I'm surprised the city/police who were doing crowd control aren't getting in trouble as well.

[stangman91]

You can't bring them back and it is sad but you also have to keep in mind that the parents and guardians also carry some blame for putting themselves in the path of a pro mod on a slick dusty city street doing a burnout, common people use some fuckin common sense. I say he WALKS he's still not going to be free the people he killed in the ACCIDENT will always be with him as well as the sounds of the ACCIDENT.

[fanjuu]

has there been any updates with this lawsuit. we didnt hear too much about it in dallas where i'm from, hell they do street burnouts and exhibitions here all the fucking time

[Shamus Otoole]

Lets forget about the legal BS and the political grandstanding crap thats going on with this case. Troy has to live with the accident that killed those people. For me thats punishment enough. Every day he has to wake up and fight that demon. My heart goes out to those that lost loved ones and it also goes out to Troy.

[powerjames]

I have severely mixed feelings about this issue, but I agree with you Shamus.

Here's some news I recently found:

A West Tennessee prosecutor accused of misconduct in a case against a professional drag racer whose car surged into spectators at a Selmer exhibition, killing six people, will not decide whether city officials should also be charged.
Advertisement

Responding to the misconduct complaint, District Attorney General Michael Dunavant requested a special prosecutor to investigate whether charges might be brought against the police chief and others in the June 2007 crash.

Dunavant recused himself from deciding whether anyone other than driver Troy Critchley should be charged.

The 38-year-old Critchley is free on bond, pending a November trial. He is charged with vehicular homicide due to recklessness and reckless aggravated assault.

Dunavant’s court filing said there has been no misconduct but a special prosecutor helps avoid any appearance of impropriety.

Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference director James ‘‘Wally’’ Kirby said a special prosecutor will be named.