Go-Kart crash at TMS

mike honcho

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FORT WORTH, Texas -The family of a 14-year-old girl who died in a go-kart crash at Texas Motor Speedway says she was bright and ambitious.

FOX 4 spoke off-camera to Kierstin Eaddy’s father, Todd.He says his daughter not only loved what she was doing, but she was good at it and safe.

Fort Worth Police say just before 10:00 a.m. Sunday during a timed race in the TMS parking lot, something went wrong.

Investigators say Kierstin’s #4 go-kart crossed the finish line and kept going.

Todd Eaddy says his daughter was a 2-time champion racer with seven years of experience and always wore a helmet, neck brace, vest and special racing suit.

Police say Kierstin crashed through a wire barricade and stopped about 200 yards out in a field.

She was transported by Careflite to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, where she was pronounced dead.

Investigators are trying to determine if there was a mechanical problem or if Kierstin might’ve had a medical issue that kept her from being able to stop the go-kart, which may have had a top speed of 40-45 mph.

Kierstin’s family says she was always positive and trying to help people.She was involved in Girl Scouts, ran track and wanted to try out for the Junior Olympics.Her main goal was to be an engineer.

She was also involved with charities such as the Spirit Horse Therapeutic Center of Corinth.That organization helps children overcome disabilities.
 
RIP. Gotta think maybe a stuck throttle but you would think she would have access to a kill switch. Who knows. Scary. Very sad.
 
Sorry for weighing in on this topic so late (just found it) but...
Shows that even kart racing can be dangerous. One kart track we race at had a driver get killed when he went off the track and hit a light pole. Several drivers have been killed at Daytona (Enduro karts with dual engines going around 200 mph!). But fortunately it's rare.

It does sound like Ms. Eaddy suffered a stuck throttle. But she may not have had access to a kill switch. Most karting organizations quit requiring kill switches back in the 1970s, because people had problems with them shorting out and stalling the engine. In today's "clone" engine classes you have a kill switch on the engine cover (the manufacturer's original installation) but many tracks allow you to disable it. Even if it is functional, it is in an awkward position where you have to reach around and down to turn it - something you'd never be able to accomplish during the few seconds between when you realize you can't slow down and the crash.
 
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