A new tragedy in Selmer, Tenn.

Small town in west Tennessee, where the woman shot and killed her minister husband.

Today, at a Cars for Kids benefit auto show, a car (described as a "dragster") loses control and slams into bystanders at the local park. TV out of Memphis reporting four dead ... a Nashville TV reporter I talked to on the phone a little while ago says it may have been four children.

 

Here is what has moved on the AP wire:

4 Dead, Up to 15 Injured After Dragster Hits Bystanders at a Charity Show in Tenn.
SELMER, Tenn. (AP) -- A vehicle drag racing at a car show lost control and spun into a crowd of bystanders on Saturday, killing four people and injuring up to 15, authorities said.
Investigators were trying to determine what caused the vehicle to careen into the crowd at the Cars for Kids charity event in Selmer, located about 80 miles east of Memphis.
Scott Henley, of Selmer, witnessed the accident and said the vehicle started burn-ing off its tires, then began to fishtail and slammed into a light pole before spinning around into the audience.
Selmer Police Chief Neal Burks said, ``bodies were flying into the air when it happened.''
Tennessee Highway Patrol spokesman Mike Browning said authorities did not know how many people had been brought to area hospitals to be treated for their injuries.
He said the vehicle has been described as a drag racing car, but he did not have more details yet about the vehicle.
Cars for Kids holds several events throughout the nation and raises close to $200,000 per year for charities that help children in need, according to the charity's Web site.
About 40,000 to 60,000 people were expected to attend the weekend event in Selmer.

 

Dreadful.

I worked at the little weekly there for a short while before moving on to Tupelo.

 

Well, I know where the park is, and it's on US 45, which runs through the middle of town, such as it is.

The only thing I can think of is that road was blocked off and people were lined along the side of the street.

On of the Memphis TV stations will do a live standup there at 9 p.m. CDT. Maybe I can get my bearings after I see that.

 

Live standup via phone from Memphis was a dial tone.

 

AP has several photos.

 

AP story now updates dead as being four adults and adds the detail that the accident occurred during a parade.

 

AP reporting three more dead, bringing toll to seven:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19267840/

Very sad.