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Five dead after car crashes off end of private airstrip
CNN.com ^ | Sat Jan 26, 2008 | (none given)

Posted on 01/26/2008 10:13:45 PM PST by dayglored

(CNN) -- Five young men died Saturday when the car they were in drove off the end of a private airstrip near Ocala, Florida, became airborne for 200 feet and slammed into an oak tree, authorities said.

"This had to be the worst vehicle crash that I have ever seen during my career," said Randy Robinson, a spokesman for the Emergency Medical Services Alliance with 27 years on the job.

The 2008 BMW was split in two in the wreck, which happened at 3:45 a.m., said Lt. Mike Burroughs, a spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol Troop B.

He told CNN the victims -- 18 to 20 years old and all from the area -- were declared dead at the scene.

Burroughs said it was not clear how the car got onto the private Greystone community airstrip -- the same one actor John Travolta uses for his aircraft -- but the car was driving north on Runway 36, which is 1.5 miles long.

"It is evident that the driver of the vehicle saw he was approaching the end of the runway," Burroughs said. "He attempted a braking maneuver and the vehicle slid sideways off the end of the runway."

The car flew through the air for 200 feet, he said, and struck an oak tree 15 feet off the ground, splitting the vehicle in two.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: again; airstrip; anotherone; bmw; carcrash; daddysbmw; dudewheresmycar; goodriddance; sosoon; spoiledbrats; teens
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To: Ronin

There was a case recently in Spain where a fellow was speeding (100mph+) in an expensive sportscar and killed a cyclist and then sued the family for damages to his car.


21 posted on 01/26/2008 10:27:53 PM PST by umgud
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To: dayglored

Our community just had a similarly bad accident with kids hill topping - car split in half by tree, 4 boys (16-18 yo) killed, and all wearing seatbelts.


22 posted on 01/26/2008 10:28:08 PM PST by GnuHere
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To: dayglored
Previous threads........

here

here

23 posted on 01/26/2008 10:28:34 PM PST by hole_n_one
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To: stylin19a

Yeah, it is. Another story about this, posted earlier on FR, noted that there is an 85’ embankment at the end, and the car went off the runway, up the embankment, and into the air - much like a ski-jump.

My guess - debris on the runway and/or not paying attention to how much runway was left in the quest to see how fast the new BMW was. Or, it could be the “Hey, watch me recreate the bootlegger turn in Tokyo Drift at 100 mph!” stupidity factor.


24 posted on 01/26/2008 10:29:06 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: stylin19a

I wouldn’t trust too many of these measurements. It says the wreckage was contained to a 10 foot by 20 foot area. I think the correct translation is: It done went yonder, got smashed to smithereens and ended up all over tarnation.


25 posted on 01/26/2008 10:29:29 PM PST by MARTIAL MONK
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To: Royal Wulff
Fortunately, mammalian populations generally have an excess of males.

And this kind of thing is why it's necessary for mammalian populations to have more males. But girls can be stupid, too. Why I didn't buy my daughter a nice car; she's driving an old one that she can barely flog to 50 mph.

26 posted on 01/26/2008 10:29:49 PM PST by ottbmare
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To: dayglored

Poor dumb kids. So sad.


27 posted on 01/26/2008 10:32:48 PM PST by I_like_good_things_too (Check the "Yes" box next to survival)
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To: dayglored
"The engine block of the BMW was completely dislodged and wreckage from the car was found over a 200-square-foot area, the FHP spokesman said."

200 square feet is 10 feet by 20 feet. Preposterous.

28 posted on 01/26/2008 10:33:30 PM PST by Neanderthal
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To: dayglored

29 posted on 01/26/2008 10:34:15 PM PST by I see my hands (_8(|)
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To: umgud

When it comes to lawsuits, nothing surprises me anymore.

Many years ago, I read a book called the “Dosadi Experiment”. The fun part of that book was that whenever there was a lawsuit, the losing lawyer was executed by the winner.

Now THAT would definitely cut down on the number of frivolous lawsuits (not to mention reducing the excess number of lawyers) but sadly to say it wouldn’t fly.

Still, the general idea has merit. The way things stand now, lawyers do not face sufficient sanctions or counter-incentives against unnecessary court actions.

Perhaps if a lawyer losing the suit were to be required to pay a substantial portion of the judgment out of his own pocket, things could change.


30 posted on 01/26/2008 10:35:02 PM PST by Ronin (Bushed out!!! Another tragic victim of BDS.)
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To: stylin19a

They said he was going 100mph when left the runway. This from the Orlando paper:

Florida Highway officers said a gray 2008 BMW was traveling on an airstrip after 3:30 a.m. Saturday near Jumbolair Aviation Estates when it sailed off an 80- to 85-foot elevated embankment at the runway.

The vehicle was speeding in excess of 100 mph when it left the ground and traveled 200 feet into a large tree, Local 6 has learned. The vehicle hit the tree about 15 feet above the ground.
http://www.local6.com/news/15144329/detail.html


31 posted on 01/26/2008 10:35:14 PM PST by united1000
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To: dayglored

Rotate!


32 posted on 01/26/2008 10:37:10 PM PST by Balata
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To: MARTIAL MONK

man you are good...my sides are aching....thanks


33 posted on 01/26/2008 10:39:34 PM PST by advertising guy (my Sleep Number Bed is 9..........................................Budweisers....)
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To: dayglored

From the sound of things, seatbelts were irrelevant - I cannot imagine how fast they were going to have ended the way it did.


34 posted on 01/26/2008 10:40:48 PM PST by TheBattman (LORD God, please help us to elect a Godly and patriotic man for President in 08, Amen.)
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To: dayglored
I still don’t buy it.

a car is what, 6 feet wide ? 200 feet is approximately 30 cars.

Robbie Maddison of Australia made a motorcycle leap of 322 feet, 7 1/2 inches at the Rio Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas earlier this year and...
he meant to do it...and I'm guessing he wasn't braking. That distance almost doubled anything Knievel did.

This story makes me go hmmmm
35 posted on 01/26/2008 10:42:43 PM PST by stylin19a
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To: monkeyshine

“but the car was driving north on Runway 36, which is 1.5 miles long.”


36 posted on 01/26/2008 10:43:26 PM PST by Kozak (Anti Shahada: There is no god named Allah, and Muhammed is a false prophet)
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To: I_like_good_things_too

Say all the jokes you want I suppose, but I would hate to be the cops that had to break the news to the parents.

No parent wants to bury a child.

Prayers for thier greif, no matter the curcumstance.....


37 posted on 01/26/2008 10:45:53 PM PST by ASOC (The Captain doesn't choose the storm....)
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To: Spktyr
The runway is elevated above the surrounding ground, so the car flew straight out into the air and dropped until it hit the tree.
38 posted on 01/26/2008 10:49:23 PM PST by dr_lew
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To: Schwaeky
"That's where they hit - wow!"


39 posted on 01/26/2008 10:49:32 PM PST by Dumpster Baby (Eschew obfuscation)
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To: dayglored

Darwin Award. And I’m surprised it wasn’t in the headline.


40 posted on 01/26/2008 10:59:35 PM PST by Arthur McGowan
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