Race Car Driver Indicted by Special Grand Jury

Nashville, Tennessee — A Special McNairy County Grand Jury in Selmer, Tennessee has indicted Troy Warren Critchley, 38, of Wylie, Texas on six counts of vehicular homicide due to recklessness (Class C Felony) and 22 counts of reckless aggravated assault (Class D Felony).   The charges stem from the Saturday, June 16, 2007 crash during a parade at the “Cars for Kids” charity event in Selmer, Tennessee.  Selmer is located 80 miles east of Memphis in McNairy County.

The true bill indictments come after evidence was presented to the Special McNairy County Grand Jury on Tuesday, March 4, 2008, in Selmer, Tennessee.

On March 20, 2008, Mr. Critchley surrendered to authorities at the McNairy County Justice Complex in Selmer and was booked on the felony charges.  Bond is set at 35-thousand dollars, and Mr. Crtichley was ordered to surrender his passport. A trial date is set for November 3, 2008.

Department of Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell said, “The Tennessee Highway Patrol dedicated significant time and resources to investigate all aspects of the June 16, 2007 crash in Selmer.”  Mitchell added, “Colonel Mike Walker and I are proud of the diligent and aggressive manner in which THP investigators left no stone unturned in the investigation of this tragic and deadly crash.”

At the request of the Selmer Police Department and 25th Judicial District Attorney Mike Dunavant, the Tennessee Highway Patrol Criminal Investigation Division (C.I.D.), the THP Critical Incident Response Team (C.I.R.T.) and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) conducted a thorough and complete investigation of the circumstances surrounding the deadly crash.  The detailed documents and reports into the June 16, 2007 crash remain confidential as part of the on-going prosecution in this case.  (TCA 10-7-504, TCA 55-25-101, Rule 16 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure)

District Attorney Mike Dunavant stated, “I want to thank the members of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Critical Incident Response Team, the TBI, the McNairy County Sheriff’s Department and the Selmer Police Department for working very closely to conduct a comprehensive investigation of this tragic crash.”

The crash occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m., on June 16, 2007, when the Jack Hammer Outlaw Pro-modified race car, driven by Australian-born racing professional Troy Warren Critchley, veered into a crowd of bystanders on four lane U.S. Highway 64/Mulberry Street in the city limits of Selmer, Tennessee.  At the time his car went out of control, Critchley was participating in an “exhibition burn out”, where the driver spins his tires to make them heat up and smoke.  Six spectators died from injuries suffered in the crash, and 22 victims suffered serious injuries requiring hospitalization, and in some cases, continued rehabilitation.

In drag racing, hot tires help the driver control the vehicle, and a “burnout” is an important step in preparing a car for competition.  Dragsters perform more predictably when the car’s tires have heat in them.  In the “burnout” technique, the car drives through some water, which acts as a lubricant that gets the tires spinning easily.  Once the water burns off, the spinning tires generate friction that heats the tires and causes smoke.  When the tires are spinning, the dragster steers similarly to a passenger car driving on a snow-covered road.  Even on a drag-strip, which is flat and smooth as possible, the rear end of the car wants to spin around.  On city streets, which are higher in the center than the edges to help drainage, the tendency to drift is more pronounced, and makes controlling the car more difficult.  If the driver lifts off the accelerator too much, or if the rear wheels leave the road surface, it can cause the car to regain traction and lurch forward.

A team of Tennessee Highway Patrol investigators from CID and CIRT, along with TBI Investigators, interviewed more than 250 witnesses relative to the crash, including Mr. Critchley and his crew of mechanics.  A team of C.I.R.T. investigators conducted a complete reconstruction of the crash scene.  An internationally-recognized expert in crash reconstruction and mechanical inspections was hired to conduct a comprehensive vehicle autopsy of the race car.  The evidence was turned over to District Attorney General Mike Dunavant.  Routine blood tests, which Critchley voluntarily submitted, confirmed that he had no drugs or alcohol (negative) in his system at the time of the crash.

LIST OF VICTIMS

FATAL VICTIMS:

Six spectators died from injuries suffered in the crash.

Raven Griswell, Finger, TN
Sean Michael Driskill, Adamsville, TN
Brooke Lauren Pope, Selmer, TN
Scarlett Rena Replogle, Selmer, TN
Kimberly Ann Barfield, Adamsville, TN
Nicole Griswell, Selmer, TN

Twenty-two spectators suffered injuries in the crash and were treated at area hospitals.

Jason Mullins, Stantonville, TN                                   Sheila Sisk, Selmer, TN
Roger Pitchford, Bethel Springs, TN                          Amy Driskill, Selmer, TN
Selina Kennedy, Selmer, TN                                       Michael Smith, Selmer, TN
Jeannie Townsend, Selmer, TN                                 Cynthia Gail Stephens, Selmer, TN
Ginny B. King, Selmer, TN                                            Tiffanie A. Stone, Michie, TN
Shane Smith, Selmer, TN                                            Brannon Vanhoose, Selmer, TN
Brenda F. Taylor, Selmer, TN                                      Kaylee Ann Cass, Selmer, TN
Aeriel K. Hickman, Selmer, TN                                   Edward James Prindes, Selmer, TN
Christopher Mettlen, Selmer, TN                                Anna Marie Ray, Selmer TN
Codye J. Tomaszewski, Selmer, TN                         Brandon Clay Sheffield, Selmer, TN
Michael Bishop, Selmer, TN                                       Anthony Charles Weirich, Selmer, TN