Dragster goes into crowd killing 6, injuring scores

SELMER, Tennessee (AP) — As drag racers revved their engines and burned their wheels for hundreds of spectators standing shoulder-to-shoulder along each side of a highway, metal guard rails protected only a small portion of the half-mile parade route.

When it was pro drag racer Troy Warren Critchley's turn to show off at the Cars for Kids charity event, his engine roared and his tires smoked, but then the car got away from him.

In just seconds, he sped a few hundred yards past the section with guard rails, lost control and skidded left into the crowd, tossing bodies into the air. (Watch car go out of control; hear crowd react )

Six people died, all in their teens and early 20s, Tennessee Highway Patrol spokesman Mike Browning said. Saturday's wreck injured at least 18 others, including a 5-year-old boy, who were taken to hospitals in Tennessee and Mississippi. More from AP article