Sue Zimmer's Fatal Crash @ Firebird International Raceway 2010

  • 6 months ago
A NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) drag racing meeting held on Sunday, 21 February 2010 at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Arizona, was marred by the death of a spectator.

During a first-round NHRA drag race for Top Fuel dragsters between Troy Buff and Antron Brown, the left-rear wheel of Brown's "Matco Tools/U.S. Army" dragster sheared off and flew from the dragstrip into a crowd, killing a female spectator and then crashed into some support vehicles.

The victim was identified as Sue Zimmer, 52, a resident of Rice Lake, Wisconsin. She was flown by helicopter to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, where she was pronounced dead.

On the run, Antron Brown’s dragster appeared to lose power when the No. 5 cylinder of the engine broke, shortly after accelerating from the starting line. The car went through severe tire shake, flipped onto its right side and its left-rear wheel came off. The dragster slid across the track, hit and climbed the left-lane retaining wall. There was a flash of flame from spilled fuel as the car came to a stop. The driver was not injured in the accident.

R.I.P

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