A track volunteer was killed Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway after a Sprint Car flipped over the infield fence and struck him.

Richard E. Speck Jr., 67, of Mechanicsburg, was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple traumatic injuries, according to the Cumberland County coroner’s office.

Speck operated one of the push trucks at Williams Grove. Because Sprint Cars don’t have starters or batteries, they rely on outside forces to get them going. Those trucks push the cars until they reach an idling speed. Afterward, the cars circle the track until all competitors are moving and properly positioned for the race to begin. If a race car spins out or crashes, the push truck heads back on to the track to get it rolling again.

Speck was sitting in the back of his pickup truck, parked along the fence, when he was struck by the Sprint Car, according to the coroner’s office. The incident took place during the final two laps of the feature race, observers said, after drivers Robbie Kendall and Anthony Macri tangled, coming out of Turn 4. Kendall’s car catapulted over the fence, the spectators said.

Kendall was OK, according to reports.

Williams Grove Speedway immediately cancelled the remainder of Friday night’s card, sending out this tweet: “Due to the severity of the accident, we have been forced to cancel the remainder of tonight’s racing program. Freddie Rahmer has been declared the winner of tonight’s event.”

Due to the severity of the accident, we have been forced to cancel the remainder of tonight’s racing program. Freddie Rahmer has been declared the winner of tonight’s event. — Williams Grove (@WilliamsGrove) August 3, 2019

Dozens of cars remained in the parking lot after the races were canceled. Groups of spectators stood around discussing what they had seen.

Gregg Kohr, of Dover Township, was sitting in the grandstand when the incident occurred. “It’s heartbreaking, somebody was killed,” he said. “I knew somebody wasn’t going to be in good shape.”

The owner of the track declined comment Friday night.

Pennsylvania State Police were called to the scene to investigate the incident, which occurred around 9:25 p.m., the coroner’s release said.

The crash remains under investigation by the state police, the Cumberland County coroner’s office and track officials, the press release said.

Friday night’s feature race, according to Williams Grove’s website, was the Billy Kimmel Memorial for the Lawrence Chevrolet 410 sprint cars, part of the 2019 Yellow Breeches 500 series.

The annual Billy Kimmel Memorial for 410 sprint cars is run in honor of Billy Kimmel of Mechanicsburg. Kimmel was fatally injured in a sprint car racing accident at Williams Grove in 2007. He was 27 years old.

Friday’s incident comes less than a year after the death of racer Greg Hodnett at BAPS Motor Speedway in York County, prompting offseason measures designed to improve safety there.

PennLive reporter Jana Benscoter contributed to this story.

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