A 23-year old drag racer was killed and another injured in the late hours of Thursday evening in a racing accident at a Dallas, Texas-area dragstrip.
Blake Williams of Burleson, Texas, was pronounced dead at the scene after a two-car incident at the Yello Belly Dragstrip in the town of Grand Prairie. Williams was reportedly racing alongside a Ford Mustang, of which the driver lost control after the finish line, striking Williams’ Ford Thunderbird and sending it off the racing surface. Williams struck a tree lining the shutdown area of the strip, resulting in what eyewitnesses referred to as an “explosion” upon impact. Williams was reportedly ejected from the vehicle and lost his life instantly.
“The Mustang slid a little bit and then you see him veer over into the lane of the other car. You see a cloud of smoke and a quick explosion,” Allen Roberson Jr. told FOX 4 News of his account of the incident.
The driver of the Mustang was injured in the accident but is expected to recover. Police were called to the scene at 11:30 p.m. and remained at the strip until daybreak completing the investigation.
A GoFundMe account has been established by the racing community to assist Williams’ girlfriend and young child.
- Additional story: Explosive Crash At North Texas Drag Strip Leaves 1 Dead