Victim's dad says go-kart track needs more safety personnel

[RRUSANews]

By Al Pefley

JUPITER, FL (WFLX) - The father of a little boy, severely burned in a go-kart crash Monday, believes the raceway did not have enough safety personnel on hand.

Devin Olmstead, 9, of Pompano Beach is now in a Miami burn unit in critical condition.

"He was burned really bad. Still is. Might not have use of his hands or anything any more," said Donald Olmstead, Devin's father, as he fought back tears.

The father of Devin Olmstead can't help but get choked up.

His little boy was hurt in a go-kart crash at Palm Beach International Raceway Monday near Jupiter, driving his own go-kart. The facility also rents go-karts, but Devin was driving his own kart.

And the dad says in his view, the track didn't have enough safety people out on the go-kart track to respond in case a go-kart flipped, which is what happened to the kart his 9 year old son was driving.

"You rely on people to help you. You're 90 pounds, the go-kart is 160 pounds. You can't overcome that when it's on top of you. A man jumped from the, he jumped the fence because nobody was there to help him," Olmstead said.

Devin's dad says he himself has raced go-karts for a long, long time.

And says most go-kart tracks that he's seen have plenty of marshals stationed around the track in case of a problem.

"We've raced for years. Years of go-kart racing. And every time there's people to help pick the go-karts up. 'Cause go-karts flip over," Olmstead explained.

In addition he says, there was a motorcycle race going on at the same time Monday at Palm Beach International Raceway, while other people including his son were riding go-karts on a different race course.

"They had more than one accident at the track. The motorcycles were, some guys wrecked on motorcycles at the same time. So there was no paramedics to even assist my son. I mean they should have paramedics for the go-karts. They should have paramedics for the motorcycle people, you know. They don't," Olmstead said.

"Our response to that is we felt very confident and comfortable with the number of people that we had around the track. We immediately got to the incident as quickly as possible," said Howard Wishner, chief communications/marketing officer at Palm Beach International Raceway.

He said they have no plans to add additional safety personnel.

Meanwhile, Patty Davis, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in Bethesda, Maryland, says they have launched an investigation into Monday's go-kart crash.

She said they will be looking into whether the kart meets safety standards, whether it was defective in some way, and if it had ever been recalled.

They will be working with local authorities to determine what happened

[georgep]

By Al Pefley

JUPITER, FL (WFLX) - The father of a little boy, severely burned in a go-kart crash Monday, believes the raceway did not have enough safety personnel on hand.

Devin Olmstead, 9, of Pompano Beach is now in a Miami burn unit in critical condition.

"He was burned really bad. Still is. Might not have use of his hands or anything any more," said Donald Olmstead, Devin's father, as he fought back tears.

The father of Devin Olmstead can't help but get choked up.

His little boy was hurt in a go-kart crash at Palm Beach International Raceway Monday near Jupiter, driving his own go-kart. The facility also rents go-karts, but Devin was driving his own kart.

And the dad says in his view, the track didn't have enough safety people out on the go-kart track to respond in case a go-kart flipped, which is what happened to the kart his 9 year old son was driving.

"You rely on people to help you. You're 90 pounds, the go-kart is 160 pounds. You can't overcome that when it's on top of you. A man jumped from the, he jumped the fence because nobody was there to help him," Olmstead said.

Devin's dad says he himself has raced go-karts for a long, long time.

And says most go-kart tracks that he's seen have plenty of marshals stationed around the track in case of a problem.

"We've raced for years. Years of go-kart racing. And every time there's people to help pick the go-karts up. 'Cause go-karts flip over," Olmstead explained.

In addition he says, there was a motorcycle race going on at the same time Monday at Palm Beach International Raceway, while other people including his son were riding go-karts on a different race course.

"They had more than one accident at the track. The motorcycles were, some guys wrecked on motorcycles at the same time. So there was no paramedics to even assist my son. I mean they should have paramedics for the go-karts. They should have paramedics for the motorcycle people, you know. They don't," Olmstead said.

"Our response to that is we felt very confident and comfortable with the number of people that we had around the track. We immediately got to the incident as quickly as possible," said Howard Wishner, chief communications/marketing officer at Palm Beach International Raceway.

He said they have no plans to add additional safety personnel.

Meanwhile, Patty Davis, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in Bethesda, Maryland, says they have launched an investigation into Monday's go-kart crash.

She said they will be looking into whether the kart meets safety standards, whether it was defective in some way, and if it had ever been recalled.

They will be working with local authorities to determine what happened

.

Sounds like NASCAR and the famous DUMPED BELT.
The missing facts are:
1. Was this a ORGANIZED RACE?
2. If it was the father is 100% correct
3. It was play time with the kart then he is not caorrect.
When 103rd street in Jacksonville has an open day (most) there is not any type of EMT or corner workers you are on your own.
I feel very sorry for the boy, but HOW did the kart catch FIRE? Fuel cap had to come off and for that to happen the kart realy had to flip very hard which in most cases the driver would get ejected which is the SAFETY FEATURE of a kart.
This should interesting when the bottom feeders get their hands on it.

[Joanne Lucas]

Prayers

My prayers go out to your son and hopefully he will be able to race again. BUT, there were many times when my son was racing if the track had water sepping on it the drivers got together and Did Not Race. If there were no emergency personal in the pits they were told to get one or no racing. I also had my son in the best equipement and everyone called him mommy's boy and laugh because he had a hutchens device in a modified mini stock BUT, I still have my son. Laugh all they want but safty is first with my children. You say you have raced before, this seems like an accident that was not the tracks fault but next time check the emergency personal before you put your son on the track. My prayers go out to you and your family. Lil Boys have a way of surprising there parents. Hang in there.
Joannne

[BJ Cavin]

I've said this before but I'll say it again. Anyone, racer or fan, that goes into any racing facility, should first take a look around and judge whether the place is equipped and staffed sufficiently or not. If the answer is no, then LEAVE!!!

There is no goverment agency out there actively inspecting facilities to see if they are up to accepted standards or not. Even the companies that insure racing facilities usually take the operators' word that safety staff and measures are in place. There are few, if any, inspections to verify that safety measures are truly there. It is ultimately up to the racers and the fans to determine whether they are safe or not, and no one should assume anything!

[RandyS]

With all due respect to all involved, what ever happened to taking responsibility for yourself and your family.

No matter what form of motorized racing you do it is a know FACT that it is dangerous!

When you CHOOSE to enter the pits, put on a helmet and drive out on a race track there is a possibility you could get hurt.

STOP blaming others and accept the consequence's of the choice's you make.

[georgep]

I've said this before but I'll say it again. Anyone, racer or fan, that goes into any racing facility, should first take a look around and judge whether the place is equipped and staffed sufficiently or not. If the answer is no, then LEAVE!!!

There is no goverment agency out there actively inspecting facilities to see if they are up to accepted standards or not. Even the companies that insure racing facilities usually take the operators' word that safety staff and measures are in place. There are few, if any, inspections to verify that safety measures are truly there. It is ultimately up to the racers and the fans to determine whether they are safe or not, and no one should assume anything!

There is, New Jersey State Troopers enforce the rules at all NJ tracks. There is a list of rules that the state has as far as the COMPLETE contro; of what and when you race.
Below is a result of about the same thing in a go kart MANY years ago.
THis is where it has been taken.

To All G.S.V.S.C.C. Members here is a report on the public meeting held by the N.J. State Police Motor Vehicle Racing Control Unit on Jan. 23, 2008 attended by club members: Bill Erbe, Marty Van Druten, Earl Krause and Bobby Thomas.

The following are MANDATORY rule changes to N.J.TITLE 13 LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY CHAPTER 62. MOTOR VEHICLE RACE TRACK RULES SUB - CHAPTER 4. SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR VEHICLES AND PERSONNEL: OVAL RACING - 13:62-4.1 to 4.33. (Some are found in the N.J. state publication/ web site and some are NOT!)

1. NO Open Face helmets are allowed! Full faced helmets only with an approved face shield that meet or exceed the latest Snell testing standard and marked with approved Snell label (for 2008 it is SA 2000. SA = Special Application , fire resistant, only ! NO M or K ).


2. Roll bar padding must meet fire SFI 45.1 specification and marked as such .


3. Drivers one piece fire suit must meet SFI 3.2 specification and marked as such.


4. Fuel tank straps thickness has been changed to 1/8 inch thick from 1/4 inch, ALL OTHER requirements in paragraph 13:62-4.17 Fuel Tanks apply (except for certain exceptions granted to G.S.V.S.C.C. on a yearly basis by the N.J.S.P.).


5. Safety Belts that incorporate a metal H buckle to fasten them to the frame of the vehicle, MUST have only ONE metal bar of the buckle showing when the straps are weaved through the buckle and the excess ends of the straps MUST NOT BE CUT but should be wire tied or taped to the harness.


6. A fuel line or fuel pump is prohibited in the driver’s compartment unless fuel line is steel braided.



*All rules are subject to change when deemed necessary by N.J.S.P.



*These Rules stated above , those contained in N.J. Motor Vehicle Race Rules 13:62-4.1 to 4.33 Oval Racing and specific yearly exemptions granted to G.S.V.S.C.C.apply to ALL G.S.V.S.C.C. OFFICIALLY SANCTION ON TRACK EVENTS regardless of location.

I do feel sorry for the boy and his parents. I lost my middle son to a motorcycle wreck in 2007.

[mr south 59]

I feel very bad for the boy. I really do.

But I don't think the father should not try to be blaming track as much as he should be blaming himself. I am from Jupiter, I owned Martin Co. Kartway for years and I know of the father. He has been racing karts for over 15 years. He STRAPED his son in a kart with on roll cage and no fire suite. He knows better than that. It wasn't a racing kart. It had an after market Corvette body on it and I can tell you the kart weighted a lot more 160lbs as reported. A striped race kart weights 160lbs. And him and his son signed all of the release forms. His father should have never been strapped him in without the proper saftey gear. Like gloves. That would have been helpful.

On the other side of it. The race track is 1.1 miles long. It is about 1/2 mile from one end to the other and it does take a little time to get the track under yellow to get saftey workers on the track and to a kart.


I might not feel this way if the father was not a karter for years. He knows more about karting than the track workers do.

[Todd McCreary]

I've said this before but I'll say it again. Anyone, racer or fan, that goes into any racing facility, should first take a look around and judge whether the place is equipped and staffed sufficiently or not. If the answer is no, then LEAVE!!!

this.

people have died racing go-karts. i was flagging the corner at the wreck that got the Elkhart Grand Prix shut down when a girl got her neck broken and her trachea crushed. motor racing in all forms should be considered extremely dangerous.

if the adult isn't willing to evaluate the safety of the situation then he probably shouldn't have children.

[Winger]

if the adult isn't willing to evaluate the safety of the situation then he probably shouldn't have children.

If any adult could evaluate the rationale for having children, they probably wouldn't. JK

However, the safety at many race tracks across the country, and in Florida, is severely lacking. I don't know how many times I've heard that emergency crews are just down the road and can be here in minutes. What good is that for the car that is totally engulfed in flames from a fuel spill. The little fire extinguishers that many tracks have on hand are practically useless against that kind of fire. Fonda, NY found that out a couple years ago. Many of the tracks I've visited in Florida have just that sort of equipment on hand. However, racers race there and don't even consider whether the safety is sufficient. I'd be willing to bet that you've even raced at tracks like that. I'll wager that almost all racers put themselves in that situation all the time. BTW, there are good examples out there.

[AJ14]

Safety in racing has to involve tracks , racers , equipment manufacturers , along with local , state , and national laws . True , parents and racers need to make sure that all necessary safety equipment is in place along with properly trained people to operate said equipment . No racer should ever be allowed on track without good quality suits , helmets , gloves , belts , and of course properly built and designed roll cages . Like everything else in life there are driving suits , and then there are driving suits . There is no substitute for top quality driver safety equipment .
But obvious danger areas need to be addressed by the track owners . Guard rail ends that need to be protected . Blind pit entry and exit . Light poles that have no more than a dirt embankment around them , which is a sure bet to launch an already out of control race car .
In the case of the young man we're discussing , if the kart did in fact weigh far more than the young man could deal with , then that makes an excellent case for thinking things through . Didn't anyone ever consider that this kart could get upside down and trap the driver because of its weight ? And i've always maintained that all race tracks have far too long a responce time to crash scenes . Tracks need to have safety personnel stationed at locations in several different places around the track , not all huddled together in the pits or infield at one end of the track . Road courses doubly so . The extra trained people and the equipment just need to be part of the track model .
I remember a night at Desoto years ago when an injured driver waited while people scrambled to find a battery for the track ambulance . The battery was missing , and no one had bothered to check to see if the ambulance started until they needed it . Then at Punta Gorda , because of the very odd rules they had concerning having to call the local ambulance service instead of being able to have there own rescue vehicle on scene , an injured driver was transported in the back of a pickup truck out to the highway to wait for the ambulance service to show up .

[AJ14]

By the way , how many racers have walked over and inspected the on site ambulance at their race track ? We all need to question whether an injured racer or spectator could and should rely on the roadworthiness , cleanliness , and inventory of medical supplies of the typical track ambulance or rescue vehicle . And if , after you inspect the vehicle , you begin to question your chances of survival riding to the hospital , go straight to the track owner and insist on him making it safe and properly equiped before you will set one wheel on his track .

[Todd McCreary]

Many of the tracks I've visited in Florida have just that sort of equipment on hand. However, racers race there and don't even consider whether the safety is sufficient. I'd be willing to bet that you've even raced at tracks like that. I'll wager that almost all racers put themselves in that situation all the time.

exactly. it was a risk we chose to take. i got a helicopter ride out of New Smyrna because of a risk i chose to take. i paid for that helicopter ride too, even though i don't remember it or any of the race. blaming someone else is childish.

it's easy and it's encouraged by lawyers, but it's still childish.

[Winger]

exactly. it was a risk we chose to take. i got a helicopter ride out of New Smyrna because of a risk i chose to take. i paid for that helicopter ride too, even though i don't remember it or any of the race. blaming someone else is childish.

Todd, that is exactly my point. Racers will choose to take that risk because they want to race. I've never heard of a driver refusing to race because safety personnel was an issue. Poor track conditions yes, but not because of safety crews or equipment. I'm sure some have but I'm not aware of them. They shouldn't have to take that added risk. When something does happen the lawyers will have a field day and another track will be out of business.

[Todd McCreary]

Racers will choose to take that risk

here's the difference: the "racer" was a 9 year old. his father chose that risk.

[AubEMT]

Safety

I just want to say yes it's a dangerous sport and injuries will happen,But with all the saftey devices now adays most are not as serious as years ago.
If you Race at the Auburdale Speedway we have 2 Certified Professional firefighters/Emt's on duty for all races.
They are equipped to work anything from something as simple as putting a bandaide on to working a Full Code.

Each unit has
1 Highly Trained Firefighter/EMT
1 2.5 Gallon Fire Ade Extuingusher
1 5lb ABC
1 10 lb ABC
Hand Lights

For Both they have a Med Bag that is equipped the same as a Fire Truck,Sawz-Alls for Extrication, a windshield Saw. Cervical Collars, Splints,

I myself was trained by Race rescue in Largo and have passed that training to every team member.

I have almost 20 years on the Job here at Polk County FD

been at the Auburndale Speedwa for 4 years

Any questions you may have please feel free to stop by and ask one of us or call me 863-412-1098

Matt