Passenger Dies at Walt Disney World Richard Petty Driving Experience

[Flyn]

Breaking story. Driver has minor injuries, passenger died after Lambo crash.

A 36-year-old Davenport man died today after a Lamborghini in which he was riding lost control at the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Walt Disney World.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the driver failed to maneuver the high-powered sports car through one of the course's curves, and the vehicle's right side struck a guardrail.

The passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, according to FHP's Sgt. Kim Montes...

...The incident took place at about 3:30 p.m., according to the FHP report.

The Richard Petty Driving Experience, where fans can drive NASCAR cars or ride shotgun at speeds up to 165 mph, opened in 1997. Four years ago, Petty Holdings introduced the exotic-car experience, where people can drive Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches. The driving packages start at $99 and go past $2,500 for a 50-lap experience with an in-car video.

FHP: Passenger dies in Lamborghini at Exotic Driving Experience at Walt Disney World - Orlando Sentinel

Raw footage video of the crash scene. Car is under a tarp. Looks like the crash happened at a location where there is a gap in the guardrail for an access road. Unfortunate location. The Lambo slid right into the edge of the rail. Camera gets closer and zooms in at 2:03.

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/fhp-investigates-fatal-incident-disney-property/nkr9W/

Click to read more...

 

[Stink Star]

Man that sucks. A professional car driver accepts the risks of driving fast on a racetrack but some random guy thinking "man it'd be cool to ride in a lambo" hasn't thought about the risk nearly as much

 

[Omicron]

So... Is this the end of these ride along experiences nationwide, or did the cost for one of them just quadruple?

 

[blakbearddelite]

Nah, they'll just rename the ride The Paul Walker Driving Experience.

 

[Mook]

Nah, they'll just rename the ride The Paul Walker Driving Experience.

 

[Omicron]

 

[Stink Star]

Nah, they'll just rename the ride The Paul Walker Driving Experience.

Comment of the year

 

[Yaj Yak]

dear god.

 

[Primalzer]

Nah, they'll just rename the ride The Paul Walker Driving Experience.

 

[bikrboy128]

and we're done here

 

[Aircal]

Man that sucks. A professional car driver accepts the risks of driving fast on a racetrack but some random guy thinking "man it'd be cool to ride in a lambo" hasn't thought about the risk nearly as much

Lot's worse ways to go I got to say. At least it wasn't in a camry !

 

[Blood on Blood]

RIP

FHP: Passenger dies in Lamborghini at Exotic Driving Experience at Walt Disney World - Orlando Sentinel


Jessica has the crazy / hot look. Would penetrate.

 

[Ti28]

Nah, they'll just rename the ride The Paul Walker Driving Experience.

Bwahahahahaha!

The butt hurt you just made.

 

[Spivitz]

Yep, that sucks. RIP, prayers to his family.

 

[Primalzer]

I don’t think I was aware there was a track at Disney World, and this accident that killed a (probable) driving instructor is a tragic way to find out about it. The track is used by the Exotic Driving Experience, and the 24 year-old driver seems to have been a client, and the 36 year-old passenger, Gary Terry, was presumably a driving instructor. [UPDATE: He was an instructor]

Terry was the operations manager at the track, and was riding in the passenger seat as Tavon Watson piloted the white Lamborghini Gallardo around the track as part of a five to six lap ‘driving experience’ with a professional driver riding shotgun.

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the accident, and so far the only reason given so far has been “failure to maneuver.” The car impacted a guard rail along one of the track’s curves, and the straight skid marks in the image across the curve suggest possibly a particularly bad understeering situation, but it’s not really clear.

What is clear is that driving instructors have incredibly dangerous jobs, and any time a possible novice is on a track in a powerful car, accidents can happen.

The track is operated by Petty Holdings, which also operates a Richard Petty Driving Eexperience attraction on the same track. Petty Holdings issued a statement saying

“On behalf of everyone in the organization, it is with a very heavy heart that we extend our deepest sympathies to those involved in today’s tragic accident in Orlando.”

Be safe out there.

Update: It’s been confirmed that Terry was a driving instructor at the event.

Looks like the instructor was the passenger and was killed

 

[Gone_2022]

The track is actually pretty nice. Of course anything Disney is top notch. You pass the track on the drive into Magic Kingdom, its on your left just before parking.

 

[bigsammoe]

and besides the Disney track shutting down there is the icing on the cake.

 

[sickmint79]

apparently they were going the wrong direction the track was designed for.

Axis Of Oversteer: What kind of Mickey Mouse organization allows cars to run tracks the wrong way?

"The ARMCO is placed to protect from cars coming in the opposite direction, hit from the wrong side it transforms into a deadly spear."

wonder why that was even being done in the first place, particularly with students.

 

[P40E]

Oh damn , the writer cracking jokes in the title of a story involving a death .

 

[SHARKBITEATTACK]

I wonder if he had a smile on his face

 

[FrenchLicker]

apparently they were going the wrong direction the track was designed for.

Axis Of Oversteer: What kind of Mickey Mouse organization allows cars to run tracks the wrong way?

"The ARMCO is placed to protect from cars coming in the opposite direction, hit from the wrong side it transforms into a deadly spear."

wonder why that was even being done in the first place, particularly with students.

Was looking for this. Hoping to see before pictures as guardrail won't cut through cars anymore (supposed to not do that anyways) and my guess was they hit an end shoe of a departure rather than an approach which is fucking terrible. Whoever said go is a dumbass.