Camera Cable Snaps at NASCAR Race, 10 Injured
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BananaStock(CONCORD, N.C) — A cable supporting a Fox Sports camera snapped during the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday, delaying the race and injuring 10 fans, three of whom went to the hospital.
The nylon rope which moves across the track filming the race from a bird’s-eye view, broke, for reason that are still being looked into. The falling cable whipped through the grandstand and came to rest dangling into the track. It then got caught up in the wheels of several cars.
The race was delayed for 27 minutes.
The camera did not fall, as the rope that failed was one of three supporting the equipment.
“We certainly regret that the system failure affected tonight’s event, we apologize to the racers whose cars were damaged, and our immediate concern is for the race fans,” Fox Sports said in a statement following the incident.
Three of the injured fans were sent to the hospital, but all have since been released.
“Everybody started screaming, said Brandi Purser, one of the injured fans. Purser was hit in the shoulder when the cable first fell, and called it who called it a chaotic situation.
Crystal Brock, another injured fan, said she heard the rope snap but couldn’t get out of the way in time. “As I turned to look the cable came down and sliced me across my shoulder where it burnt me, it whipped me,” she said.
NASCAR’s vice president tweeted that his thoughts and prayers are with the fans and, and said that NASCAR will work closely with Fox on this investigation into what went wrong with that camera system.
This camera system has been successfully used in the past – even at this year’s Daytona 500.
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