3rd person dies of injuries from Texas drag racing crash

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — A third person injured when a drag racer veered into a crowd and crashed during a racing event in Central Texas has died, police said Wednesday.

Rebecca Cedillo, 46, of Converse, a San Antonio suburb, died at University Hospital in San Antonio, Kerrville police Sgt. Jonathan Lamb said. Two boys, ages 6 and 8, died the day of the crash Saturday at Kerrville-Kerr County Airport, but police were withholding their names.

The crash happened as the driver, Michael Gonzales, was racing his 1990 Ford Mustang and began to lose control halfway down the 1/8-mile track laid out on one of the airport runways, police said. The car started to fishtail before sliding out of control off the runway and into a grassy area from which spectators were watching.

The vehicle struck multiple spectators before hitting a trailer and coming to a stop.

The crash injured seven people, including Gonzales, besides the three people who died. One of the individuals who was hospitalized, Mary Kate Walls, 27, of Taylor, an Austin suburb, had improved from critical to fair condition on Wednesday, according to a University Hospital spokeswoman.

Messages seeking updates on Gonzales, 34, and another man were not immediately returned.

The airport is about 50 miles (85 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio. Thousands attended the organized event, which involved drivers speeding down a runway as they competed for cash.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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