The story said he wasn’t the first one to crash on that track. Sounds like there might be a design flaw.
I read that there have been a dozen crashes in training. The track is super-super fast.. guys are managing 90+ mph.
Here’s an article talking about it, dated January 2009:
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Whistler%27s+bobsled%2Fluge+course+is+fast+—+and+scary-a0193431712
Whistler Slider Centre
Track facts
Length (bobsled start): 4,757 feet
Length (skeleton start): 4,576 feet
Length (men’s luge start): 4,507 feet
Length (doubles and women’s luge start): 3,930 feet
Top elevation: 3,077 feet
Low elevation: 2,578 feet
Vertical drop: 499 feet
Maximum track slope: 20 percent (Curve 2)
Curves: 16