Dragster Crashes at MIR Sunday; Driver Dead

[David]

On Sunday, July 23, 2017, at approximately 8:02 pm, the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office responded to the Maryland International Raceway in Mechanicsville, Maryland for a reported crash on the drag strip.

The investigation revealed, the driver, Thomas Albert Dunford, age 60, of Tazewell, Virginia was participating in a race at the Maryland International Raceway. For unknown reasons, it appears he failed to activate his breaks or parachute causing the dragster to travel through the sandpit, water barrels, and into the trees at the end of the track.

Medical emergency personnel pronounced Dunford deceased at the scene.

The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Collision Reconstruction Unit responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has additional information is asked to contact Corporal Brian Connelly at 301-863-4816, ext. *1456 or by email, Brian.Connelly@stmarysmd.com.

 

[officeguy]

Bummer. Passed out ? Mechanical failure ?

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ..

I've always thought that there was a catch net in addition to the sandpit and water barrels. But ya know, it seems that more and more accidents are happening now that the place changed ownership. Now that a corporation owns it, less money for safety?

 

[glhs837]

More and more? Not sure, seems about one person a year, maybe every two? I"ll expect it turns out to be medical, a failure that disables both brakes and the drogue seems pretty unlikely to me.

 

[Kinnakeet]

If I may ..

I've always thought that there was a catch net in addition to the sandpit and water barrels. But ya know, it seems that more and more accidents are happening now that the place changed ownership. Now that a corporation owns it, less money for safety?

A couple years ago I had a brake failure and failed to slow down I put the car in reverse and locked up the rear tires I slowed the car down but still went thru the gravel which slowed me down even more and I finally hit the net at the end barely moving and it fell down I was in shock that it fell down since I just barely ran into it it appeared to be held up on both ends by 1 inch rebarb sitting in pvc pipe my buddy asked me if I thought the net would stop him and his 190 mph dragster if he hit it and my answer was no you will end up in the trees on the other side of the road!

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

A couple years ago I had a brake failure and failed to slow down I put the car in reverse and locked up the rear tires I slowed the car down but still went thru the gravel which slowed me down even more and I finally hit the net at the end barely moving and it fell down I was in shock that it fell down since I just barely ran into it it appeared to be held up on both ends by 1 inch rebarb sitting in pvc pipe my buddy asked me if I thought the net would stop him and his 190 mph dragster if he hit it and my answer was no you will end up in the trees on the other side of the road!

Glad you lived to tell about it. If that's the case about the net, maybe it's more for aesthetics, or psychological for the drivers. What's the point of having a safety net if it doesn't function as intended? Maybe all the drivers at MIR should get together and petition the track owners to install a proper and secured safety net? Or a layer of nets? Maybe three? Spaced appropriately, one behind another?

 

[Dakota]

parachute didn't open.

You are pretty screwed if your chute doesn't open.

And you know, he never applied brakes so perhaps he had a medical reason not to.

 

[spr1975wshs]

On the limited info available, perhaps a "silent heart attack" like I was having before I got a pacemaker.
I have a heart defect where I show a perfect heartbeat, flat line, then come out of it.
It was diagnosed when I was having unexplained blackouts and finally got in the hospital on a monitored bed.
I flat lined 13 times between 8 PM and 5 AM, had the pacer by Noon.

 

[littlelady]

On the limited info available, perhaps a "silent heart attack" like I was having before I got a pacemaker.
I have a heart defect where I show a perfect heartbeat, flat line, then come out of it.
It was diagnosed when I was having unexplained blackouts and finally got in the hospital on a monitored bed.
I flat lined 13 times between 8 PM and 5 AM, had the pacer by Noon.

Wow. So glad you survived that. You are, obviously, a fighter! Wishing you the best for continued good health.

 

[spr1975wshs]

Wow. So glad you survived that. You are, obviously, a fighter! Wishing you the best for continued good health.

Thanks...when folks ask me how I am; "Topside of the dirt, so it's a good day."