Kerrville Drag Race update

On Saturday, October 23, at 3:20 p.m., a vehicle participating in an organized drag racing event called ‘Airport Race Wars 2’ , which was taking place at Kerrville-Kerr County Airport, lost control and left the runway, crashing into spectators who were observing the event.

The initial crash assessment indicates the crash occurred after the 1990 Ford Mustang driven by Michael Gonzales began to lose control half way down the 1/8 mile track. According to a Kerrville Police Department press release, the vehicle lost rear traction and began to slide to the left and the right on the track, ultimately losing control and entering into a slide.

The report goes on to state that the vehicle slid off of the runway being utilized as the raceway, and slid into the grassy area where spectators were observing the race. The vehicle struck multiple spectators before striking a trailer and coming to a stop.

Emergency personnel on scene immediately responded to the crash and began assisting the injured, and four medical helicopters were requested to respond to the scene in an effort to transport injured spectators to medical facilities.

The crash resulted in two fatalities, a six-year old male child who died at the scene, and an eight-year old male child who was transported to Peterson Regional Medical Center in Kerrville where he was pronounced deceased. The identities of the deceased have not been released.

The following individuals were injured in the crash and transported by air ambulance for treatment:

Chance Dean Jones, 26, of Taylor, Texas. Jones remains hospitalized and is reported to be in stable condition at Dell Seton Medical Center in Austin, Texas.

Mary Kate Walls, 27, of Taylor, Texas. Walls remains hospitalized and is currently reported to be in critical condition at University Hospital in San Antonio.

Rebecca Cedillo, 46, of Converse, Texas. Cedillo remains hospitallized and is reported to be in critical condition at University Hospital in San Antonio.

Michael Gonzales, 34, of Fort Worth, Texas. Gonzales remains hospitalized and is reported to be in stable condition at San Antonio Medical Center in San Antonio.

Two people were treated for minor injuries and released at the scene, and two children , a four year old male child and a three month old female child, were transported to Peterson Regional Medical Center by ambulance for precautionary evaluations and released.

The Kerrville Police Department is asking anyone who might have photos or video of the incident at the drag races on Saturday to please share them with their investigators. Anyone with relevant pictures or video can call Sgt. James Machetta at (830) 258-1310, or email him at james.machetta@kerrvilletx.gov.

Kerrville PD is conducting an investigation into the incident, and the investigation is active and ongoing.