Troy Critchley Story / Aussie 60 Minutes

[stanman]

I think the points you make are certainly valid, but are not really applicable to the situation. This was an exhibition of hotrods and race cars. Not an illegal street race.

The situations in street racing that have resulted in injuries/death are nearly identical to those in this incident. My reference to street racing was an example of similar situations that should have raised the awareness of the local authorities to the need for additional protection of the spectators. That being said, I'm sure they didn't draw the same correlation.

Additionally, what are your thoughts on my point regarding the numerous other exhibitors that performed burnouts with the same potentially fatal results? Any of us that have been around drag racing for any length of time have seen less powerful cars have disasterous results when a burnout went wrong.

I doubt that any police chief, mayor, city manager, etc etc. would have ever authorized such display if they knew, with reasonable expectation, that such a tragedy was remotely possible. It defies logic for sure!

I am purely speculating here, but I doubt that anyone with any form of common sense and in a position of authority would have given Mr. Critchley the "green light" to smoke'em all the way down Main Street. JMO of course.

Sounds like a good basis for a negligence charge against the locals to me.

I work in an environment that is extremely safety consceince. If I were to ever presume some level of safety without analyzing all potential hazards I would lose my job in a heartbeat and possibly face charges if an accident resulted in injury or death.

Don't get me wrong. I'm an not arguing that Mr. Critchley doesn't bare any responsibility. My contention is that if you're going to charge one person, you need to charge everyone involved.

 

[Toejam]

I just watched the broadcast again, I thought it was pretty cheapshot of the reporter to suggest Troy's just another Ruff and Tuff Drag racer, like they're not Human or something!

 

[Jeff]

Joe, it seemed to me that the reporter was trying to dispell a stereotype with the rather obvious irony of Troy's humanity against an out of touch racer stereotype. It struck me that the reporter was reasonably pro-Troy.

Maybe I am extremely biased in how I view this incident . . . a horrible accident arising from the best of intentions on the part of many . . . particularly Troy.

 

[The Fish]

Troy doesn't deserve to walk away. What he did was incredibly stupid and irresponsible.

Please tell me you are kidding man i mean he did a normal burnout for a pro mod car!! Nothing our of the ordinary!! Those cars do faster burnouts you would know this if you have ever watched them in person!! So to say that what he did was stupid and irresponsible is absolutely dumb!! Now i am not trying to sound like a ass but if you are a racer and have watched the burnout there was nothing that he could have done he was doing a very routine burnout and the slick hooked that is something that you know might happen but is hard to prevent as well!! Troy did all he could to stop that care i mean if you listen to the tape you hear him get out of the throttle as soon as that car hooked and tried he hardest to steer it away from the crowd!! Now do i think he should be thrown under the gauntlet for this no way the man has to live with the fact of killing people for the rest of his life!! He has stopped racing in respect to the families which i think is a very nice of him but also kind of expected!! But IMO the people that wanna see him pretty much die in jail for this are ridiculous!! Stop being money hungry yes you lost family members and i feel for them but you also took a risk by standing where there was no kind of protective barrier between them and a race car!! They should have been smart enough to know the risk they were taking by doing that!! This may be taking as me coming off as a total jack ass but this is just MY opinion as a racer!!! I am not saying troy is not responsible for any of this i am saying that he is not the only one responsible for this tragedy!!

 

[TJ]

Ultimately Troy C was the only one in control of that car once he committed to during the burn out. It is a sad situation and it was an accident but he was/is the main person who controlled the situation, good or bad.

Kind of like someone hitting a golf ball: Where that ball lands is the responsibility of the golfer...Not the golf course management or the City/County or the maintenance people, etc.

 

[clwill]

he did a normal burnout for a pro mod car!! Nothing our of the ordinary!! Those cars do faster burnouts you would know this if you have ever watched them in person!! So to say that what he did was stupid and irresponsible is absolutely dumb!!

He did a normal burnout for a pro mod car ON A DRAGSTRIP. There is no "normal burnout for a pro mod car" on a city street.

It may have been fine to do what he did on a strip with concrete barriers, fences, people kept back 50', and an entire team of safety people who are not only there but have reviewed, monitored, and attended to every inch of the track. But to do the same thing on a city street crowded with spectators on a surface with a completely unknown amount of grip was stupid and irresponsible.

 

[davey]

I didn't start this thread to debate the event itself. I just find the "revenge" and "somebody has to pay" factors amazing. Also ,the fact that he is the only one charged and everyone involved, even the spectators, used absolutely no common sense.

 

[James]

He did a normal burnout for a pro mod car ON A DRAGSTRIP. There is no "normal burnout for a pro mod car" on a city street.

It may have been fine to do what he did on a strip with concrete barriers, fences, people kept back 50', and an entire team of safety people who are not only there but have reviewed, monitored, and attended to every inch of the track. But to do the same thing on a city street crowded with spectators on a surface with a completely unknown amount of grip was stupid and irresponsible.

Ultimately it was his fault,but when pro mods have done the same burn outs on the same rd. before,He was given the green light by city officials to do this burn out. THEY(city officials) are the ones who should have taken proper safety precautions. But like i said it ultimately comes down to Troy saying "Hey,this just is'nt safe enough for a big burn out."


Should he get away scott free? No way. Should he spend the rest of his life is prison? No way.


And that is one bitter lady. I'm sorry,if i lost my kids it would not make me feel one damn bit of better ruining someone else's life (in a situation like this).

 

[Horsepower & Heels]

90 years in prision for an accident trying to help a charity. Yet, convicted cold-blooded murders get off with a slap on the wrist and an ankle bracelet.

This world is so messed up.

I can't imagine losing 2 children at the same time to something like this, and I don't blame the woman.... she is speaking out of emotion and grief, not logic.

But how the prosecution can say he is the ONLY one to bear fault, and the police, mayor, fire department that aided the event in happening are just scott free is beyond me.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

I didn't start this thread to debate the event itself. I just find the "revenge" and "somebody has to pay" factors amazing. Also ,the fact that he is the only one charged and everyone involved, even the spectators, used absolutely no common sense.

Troy's trial was scheduled to take place over a year after the accident happened. Tennessee's criminal statute of limitations is one year!

Civil/money is two years.

I still say that if he was doing something that he could be CRIMINALLY tried for now, it should have been so CRIMINALLY obvious at the time that police officers would have been stopping him instead of helping him to carry it out! This is a @#$%*!!! insane misuse of the law, IMO!

I even disagree with suing him for money more than medical and burial expenses. Prove he had bad intentions and I'd be 180 degrees. He did something with good intentions and I don't believe in punishing for that. What are you trying to teach him? Don't have accidents?

 

[n/a]

An eye for an eye will not get anyone anywhere. As a parent I can to some degree understand this woman’s position. The guilt and penalties for the "accident" should be shared across the board, not only at the driver of the vehicle. Rather than putting Troy behind bars (seeing as his intent was in no way criminal) the decision should be made so something positive can come of this incident. I think that if Troy were to spend X hours of community service per year for X years speaking on the dangers of "Street Racing", Exhibition of Speed", and "Reckless Driving" to High School Students many future accidents would not occur. JMHO

 

[Nitrohaulic]

An eye for an eye will not get anyone anywhere. As a parent I can to some degree understand this woman’s position. The guilt and penalties for the "accident" should be shared across the board, not only at the driver of the vehicle. Rather than putting Troy behind bars (seeing as his intent was in no way criminal) the decision should be made so something positive can come of this incident. I think that if Troy were to spend X hours of community service per year for X years speaking on the dangers of "Street Racing", Exhibition of Speed", and "Reckless Driving" to High School Students many future accidents would not occur. JMHO

That's the best idea I've heard of in regards to this!

How many people get killed in street racing accidents each year? Who better to go around telling people "I'm a professional driver with 2,000 burnouts on my resume and this STILL happened!" Instead of JUST having a lifetime of guilt for those lives he can never bring back, he could have the opportunity to know that he may have been able to save some lives in return. I think that's as close as he could ever come to "righting his wrong."

Sounds a helluva lot better than money changing hands. You'd think insurance companies would line up to sponsor that.

 

[Jenn]

I can't imagine losing 2 children at the same time to something like this, and I don't blame the woman.... she is speaking out of emotion and grief, not logic.

.

Excellent point Erica.