Local Story on VCHC

[wolff at turboquattro.com]

   I saw the remains of the car on the side of the hill below turn 18
moments after the crash. The corner workers and rescue people that climbed
down were standing around wondering what to do. There was nothing they could
do really since the roofline was level with the body of the car. It must
have been obvious to them that the two people were beyond help. Everyone I
spoke with was in a state of shock and disbelief.
   I also am wondering about the report that the seatbelts were not used.
Many of the cars were equiped with racing harnesses. All participants used
helmets. I can't imagine that the people in the Viper weren't wearing
seatbelts. It probably wouldn't have helped, but it's just too weird. Could
the belts have come unlatched in the crash? I guess we'll never know.

Wolff

"Nobody can forget the sound." - Michele Mouton

----- Original Message -----
From: <maximum at weetamoo.com>
To: <200q20v at audifans.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2002 2:18 PM
Subject: Local Story on VCHC


> Again, sorry to pass this on, but I figure local news is better than
> stories and rumor.  This is from the "Daily Appeal," a local Nevada
> newspaper:
>
> June 16, 2002
>
> Two dead in hill climb race accident
>
> by Brian Corley
>
>
> VIRGINIA CITY -- Two people were killed Saturday when their vehicle
plunged
> 250 feet over the edge of the Virginia City truck route during a car rally
> practice run.
>
> The victims were identified as driver Patrick Jemison, 42, of Incline
Village,
> and his passenger, Virginia Davis, 43, of Show Low, Ariz.
>
> Officials said the accident occurred at 10:22 a.m. when Jemison misjudged
a
> corner and went over an embankment at moderate speed, clipped a tree, then
> landed 250 feet down a slope, according to Storey County Sheriff's
spokesman
> John Tyson.
>
> Jemison, driving the Viper, and Davis were trapped in the car as it
tumbled
> down the hill.
>
> By the time it came to rest, the Viper was unrecognizable and both people
had
> to be cut from the car. The race was stopped and the road was closed for
four
> hours while rescue personnel pulled the victims from the Viper.
>
> Neither of them was wearing seatbelts, but because they weren't thrown
from
> the vehicle, it appears seatbelts would not have helped protect the
victims,
> according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.
>
> Both the Patrol and Storey County firefighters responded to the accident.
>
> Dean Benz, chairman of Audi Club International which organizes the event,
said
> it is very rare for a fatal accident to occur during the race.
>
> "Accidents like this are extremely rare," he said. "We've only had three
> fatalities in this race. The last accident was in the early 1980s."
>
> Tyson confirmed it has been some time since the last accident.
>
> "We all understand the risks and as a racing family we feel the loss
deeply,"
> Benz said. "We belive the participants would have wished us to go on and
continue
> the race and hope the communities will consent to it."
>
> Benz said racers have experience on closed and road courses like
Thunderhill
> and Sears Point.
>
> This is the 31st Virginia City Hill Climb, which follows Alternate Highway
341
> from Silver City to Virginia City. The road has an elevation climb of
1,210 feet,
> 20 turns and a cliff area.
> _______________________________________________
> 200q20v mailing list
> 200q20v at audifans.com
> http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/200q20v