Race Car Driver Kills Cousin in Tragic Crash
A racecar driver killed his cousin and one other driver person during a raceway collision on Saturday.
Chase Johnson, 17, was driving a racecar when he careened off the track and into the pit row, striking another car containing a driver.
Authorities identified the victims of the crash as 14-year-old Marcus Johnson and passenger, 68-year-old Dale Wondergem Jr.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
It is unknown why Marcus Johnson was in the pit area. Chase Johnson, the cousin of the 14-year-old victim, was not injured in the collision.
The incident occurred at Marysville Raceway Park in Santa Rosa, Calif. on Saturday, reported The Los Angeles Times.
Johnson was driving at about 90 mph when the car failed to make a turn, according to the race announcer Steven Blakesley.
"There must have been a mechanical problem," the announcer said. "The car didn't slow down."
California Highway Patrol and the Sheriff's Department are investigating the cause of the crash.
While Wondergem Jr. of Grass Valley owned a racecar at the track, his was not that car involved in the crash, according to the Associated Press. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Marcus Johnson, an unofficial member of his cousin's crew, was taken to Rideout Hospital in Marysville following the crash where he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
Chase, who survived, is a senior at Petaluma High School north of San Francisco.
Ron Lingron, another track announcer, explained that Johnson's family includes a long line of champion drivers.
"They're the first family of the Petaluma Speedway," he told AP Sunday. "There's not a better kid you're going to find in the racing community than Chase Johnson. To have something like this put around his neck is a tragedy."
