This is awful…
A father and retired Army special forces combat medic is dead after a street racer in a Dodge Challenger Hellcat hit his car at over 100 mph. The accident, which took place in Nashville, Tennessee happened as the victim, 34-year-old Jacob Barnhardt, was on his way to pick up his sons before heading to his daughter’s softball game.
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We’ve said it over and over again: street racing is selfish and stupid. There’s a reason why tracks are closed to public traffic, have barriers and other safety measures, and yet racing on them is still a risky proposition. But all the people on a track understand what they’re doing there. Some guy on a public road going to pick up his kids didn’t sign up for being in the middle of a high-speed race because that isn’t the purpose of public roads.
The guy who was driving the Hellcat, 31-year-old Patrick Ewin, sustained minor injuries in the crash. According to police, Ewin was racing another Dodge Challenger when he lost control of the high-powered muscle car.
Swerving into the opposite lane of traffic, it sounds like Ewin hit Barnhardt head-on. A Toyota driver was also hit but fortunately wasn’t hurt at all, because the collision could easily have involved multiple fatalities.
Police say the other Challenger driver fled the scene of the accident. Edwin was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide by recklessness. Meanwhile, investigators are still looking for the other driver, who undoubtedly will be facing some charges for his role in the crash.
Relatives described Barnhardt as a real family man who loved his children dearly and always went to all their activities. That’s how they knew when he didn’t show up to get his sons that something was terribly wrong.
Sources: Complex, New York Post
