Timor-Leste's first street drag race ends in tears
Readers may remember I recently blogged about Timor-Leste's first street drag race. It appears that the event, which was held over the week, didn't go quite to plan, as reported by Timor Post on Monday:
A street drag racing tournament (involving motorbikes and cars) to commemorate the 36th Anniversary of Falintil has resulted in the severe injuring of five spectators.
The five injured during the finals of the street drag racing tournament on Sunday 4 September last were taken to the Guido Valadares National Hospital where they were treated in emergency.
The five were injured when a sedan motor vehicle “Turbo/Formula”, with the number plates JAC 1816 involved in the race was being driven by a woman named Achin Belo from Jacky Constructions collided with spectators.
The collision took place approximately 80 meters from the start line (which was in front of the PNTL police headquarters) when the driver of the vehicle lost control and crossed the left side of the road in which it was travelling mounting the curb on the university campus gate side.
The spectators were lucky in that prior to colliding with them the vehicle had already collided with a traffic sign post near the zebra crossing at the UNTL Economics Faculty gate.
Had this traffic sign post not been there, the vehicle would possibly have collided with many more spectators as well as a nearby internet café at the UNTL Economics faculty.
It's a shame really as the idea of a street drag race in Dili seems like a lot of fun.
