Roy Weaver III (lost footage of fatal IPOWER Dash Series accident; 2004)
This article has been tagged as NSFL due to its discussion of a fatal motor racing accident/disturbing visuals.
Ray Paprota's Pontiac following the fatal collision.
Status: Lost
On 8th February 2004, during lap 9 of the 2004 IPOWER Dash 150 at the Daytona International Speedway, a crash involving Billy Clevenger and Tony Billings occurred. As the race was run under caution, track marshal Roy Weaver III entered the circuit to assist in the clear-up efforts. However, he did so as Ray Paprota approached, with Paprota unable to avoid a collision with Weaver at around 100 mph. The impact resulted in Weaver being killed instantly. It is known that footage of the fatal accident and its aftermath were captured on a trackside camera.
Background
On lap 9 of the event, a fiery crash between Clevenger and Billings occurred as the pair entered the third turn.[1][2][3][4] Clevenger had spun off, and ended up right into the path of a fast-charging Billings who could not avoid a side-on collision.[2][1][3][4] While neither driver was seriously injured,[5] Billings was unable to escape his vehicle without being cut out of it.[3][2][1] He was taken to hospital, where he ultimately recovered.[1][3][2][4]
The seriousness of the accident forced a caution period to enable track marshals to clear debris.[6][1][3][4] During this time period, Paprota finally left the pits after battery issues left him unable to initially compete.[1][3] Paprota was notably the first paraplegic driver to compete at a national stock car series event.[6][3] He began driving at over 100 mph in order to catch up with the pack prior to the caution's end.[1][6][3][4][5]
The Accident
As the wrecked cars of Clevenger and Billings were being recovered, track marshal Weaver was riding a safety pick-up truck responsible for seeking and removing any debris around the oval.[7][1] Weaver noticed what appeared to be debris at Turn 2, and requested that the pick-up stop so that he could remove it.[1][7][3][4] However, his pick-up crew failed to inform Race Control that Weaver was removing debris at the turn, with the turn's 31 degree banking also reducing visibility for incoming drivers.[1] Additionally, the pick-up truck was parked up on the grass, when it should have been parked on the road to alert drivers of marshals present on the track.[1]
It is also believed that Weaver assumed all competing vehicles were bunched up to one another.[1] Therefore, neither he nor the approaching Paprota had no indication that a fatal accident was about to commence.[1] When Paprota saw Weaver, he was already travelling at around 100 mph.[1][6][7][3][4] In a bid to avoid the marshal, Paprota hit the brakes utilising a special lever behind the steering wheel.[6][1][7][3] However, his brakes locked up, causing his Pontiac to fishtail.[1] The rear of the passenger side ultimately struck Weaver, resulting in him being flipped over the vehicle.[1][7][4][3] Weaver was killed instantly from the collision, aged 44.[1][7][6][3][4] Having worked at Daytona for seven years, he was described as being "a very nice man with a high-octane, infectious personality".[1][5]
Following the fatal collision, the Pontiac slammed into the outer wall before stopping at the exit of Turn 2.[1] It had suffered severe damage, including to its rear and right sections, although Paprota himself was unharmed.[1] The race continued to be run under yellow flags for a few more laps, with drivers witnessing other marshals clearing body parts from the area and placing a tarp over Weaver's body.[1][3] After being red-flagged, the race organisers made the decision to continue the race, which was won by Danny Bagwell.[1][3][7]
Following the race, accusations were directed at Paprota, with some journalists questioning whether it was safe to allow a paraplegic driver to compete at a national stock car event.[6][1][3][7] However, his fellow drivers, including Wally Leatherwood, defended him and also criticised the lack of procedures to ensure track worker safety during cautions.[6][1] Eventually, an investigation concluded Paprota was not to blame for the accident, instead deeming that poor safety communication caused the fatal collision.[1][7] Weaver's family would file a lawsuit against the Speedway, which was settled in March 2008.[8][1] Weaver's death was also considered a contributing factor towards the decline of the Dash Series, eventually being discontinued in 2011.[1][4][7]
Availability
Footage of the race itself is publicly available, as it was televised by Speed.[4] However, the broadcast team decided not provide additional coverage of the race following the red flag, meaning no footage outside of some B-roll clips exist of the race's second-half.[4] As for Weaver's fatal accident, it is known that a trackside camera captured not only the collision, but also track workers cleaning up blood and gathering body parts.[4][3] It is alleged race officials did not see these clips before restarting the race.[3] Police seized the camera as part of its investigation;[4] considering the graphic nature of the footage, and out of respect to Weaver and his relatives, it is extremely unlikely the video will ever be publicly released.
Gallery
Videos
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 Motorsport Memorial page for Roy Weaver III. Retrieved 5th Aug '22
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Crash Photos Database detailing the Clevenger-Billings crash and providing photos of it. Retrieved 5th Aug '22
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 Greensboro News & Record documenting the series of events leading to the accident, and noting aftermath footage was recorded. Retrieved 5th Aug '22
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 Influential Moments in Racing summarising the accident and noting footage was captured on a wall-mounted camera. Retrieved 5th Aug '22
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 UPI summarising the accident and noting Weaver's seven-year career at Daytona. Retrieved 5th Aug '22
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 ESPN reporting on the accident, and of drivers defending Paprota. Retrieved 5th Aug '22
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 Crash Photos Database detailing the fatal accident and providing aftermath photos of it. Retrieved 5th Aug '22
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel reporting on the lawsuit against Daytona International Speedway being settled. Retrieved 5th Aug '22