Sun Valley ‘no speed limit’ car event cut short after major crash
Published at
Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman
KETCHUM (Idaho Statesman) — Two people were injured in a high-speed charity event in Sun Valley over the weekend.
The seventh annual Sun Valley Tour de Force event came to an abrupt halt Saturday morning after a participating vehicle crashed.
The weekend’s signature event involves law enforcement shutting down a 3.2-mile stretch of Idaho Highway 75 near Phantom Hill in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area for one day. Participants pay nearly $3,500 to drive their vehicles as fast as they’d like without worrying about the speed limit in time-trial runs. The money raised through the event is donated to The Hunger Coalition and other local nonprofits in the Wood River Valley, according to the event’s website.
“Drivers are allowed to put their machines to the ultimate test,” the website states. “To date, the fastest speed on record is a Bugatti Chiron achieving 253.01 mph.”
A man driving a black Porsche with a passenger crashed near the finish line, witnesses told the Idaho Mountain Express. Witnesses posting on social media said the driver was going between 190 and 200 miles per hour.
A family member of the driver posted on social media Sunday saying both people involved were “alive, but severely injured.”
“We are in communication with the injured participants and are sending loving thoughts and prayers to their family and friends,” the Sun Valley Tour de Force organization said on Facebook. “We are all hopeful for a full recovery.”
The Tour de Force weekend — which includes scenic drives, a car show, comedy events and fundraisers — was set to run from Thursday to Saturday afternoon. Saturday’s remaining weekend events were canceled following the crash.
Several witnesses at the event posted videos of the crash on social media. In them, the car can be seen flipping over several times.
“Yesterday was a difficult day for all involved in Sun Valley Tour de Force,” the organization said on Facebook. “We would like to thank everyone who has been so helpful and considerate during the past 27 hours. Your outpouring of support to the family injured, the offers of donations, and so much more, is a testament to the strength and resilience of our Sun Valley Tour de Force family.”
The Tour de Force organizers declined to comment, saying the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office wanted to be the ones to handle information.
The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to the Idaho Statesman’s request for comment.