Times Staff WriterSEBRING — Sheriff’s investigators are asking people to turn over video they may have recorded from a jet dragster crash Thursday night that claimed the life of 24-year-old driver Katrina Moller of Sarasota.Moller was making her first run in the car during a regular drag racing event at Sebring International Raceway, according to a news release from the track.The cause of the crash is being investigated by the Highland County Sheriff’s Office. Spectators who were in attendance and recorded Moller’s run can contact the Sheriff’s Office at (863) 402-7250. Moller, who went by the nickname Kat, was a popular racer at local short tracks and a jet dragster driver for Larsen Motorsports, according to the news release.“Kat has been part of our racing family for five years and we cannot begin to express our sorrow,” Chris Larsen, chief executive of Larsen Motorsports in Palm Bay, said on the company’s website.Wayne Estes, … [Read more...] about Dragster driver Katrina Moller, 24, killed in crash at Sebring raceway
Sebring
NTSB, FAA in Sebring to Investigate Fatal Gyrocopter Crash
SEBRING, Fla. — The NTSB and FAA officials will be in Sebring Wednesday to investigate a gyrocopter crash that left two people dead and destroyed a mobile home. The gyrocopter, piloted by Christopher Lord, crashed shortly after take-off from Sebring Airport. Sheriff's deputies said the homes and the gyrocopter were consumed by fire after the crash. Lord and his passenger, Christopher Brugger, were both killed. The crash happened at the Sebring Falls mobile home park. One mobile home was destroyed in this crash and another one was damaged. The crash scene was secured overnight for the investigation that will begin later today. The crash happened in Highlands County - south of Polk County and east of Hardee County. One person on the ground was injured. According to the Highlands County Sheriff's Office, the cause of the crash is not known - but witnesses said they saw the gyroplane had just taken off from the airport in Sebring on its way to Manatee … [Read more...] about NTSB, FAA in Sebring to Investigate Fatal Gyrocopter Crash
Sebring gyroplane crash kills two, injures one
The Highlands County Sheriff's Department is investigating a Tuesday gyroplane crash in Sebring that killed two and injured one.According to the Sherrif's Office, pilot Chris Lord and passenger Christopher Brugger were killed on impact when the aircraft crashed into a mobile home at 2003 Caribbean Road in the Sebring Falls Retirement subdivision just after 2:50 p.m. No one was home at the time, but a man working on a home next door suffered burns to his arms and legs and was transported to a nearby hospital. Two homes on either side of the mobile home were also empty, but were damaged in the crash.Lord, 45, was flying Brugger, 52, from Sebring Regional Airport to an airport in Manatee County, the Sheriff's Office said.Witnesses said the aircraft seemed to be "in some kind of distress," then clipped a power line and crashed, according to a Highlands Sheriff news release. The Sheriff's Office is investigating the death while the Federal Aviation Administration investigates the crash.Lord … [Read more...] about Sebring gyroplane crash kills two, injures one
2 Dead, 1 Hurt After Gyrocopter Crashes Into Sebring Mobile Homes
SEBRING, Fla. — Two people were killed and another person injured after a gyrocopter crashed on top of two mobile homes at a Sebring mobile home park Tuesday afternoon, Highlands County deputies say. Helicopter crashes into Sebring mobile homes — 2 killed Highlands Sheriff's Office: 3rd person on the ground was injured Deputies: No one is thought to have been inside mobile homes Sheriff's deputies said the homes and the gyrocopter were consumed by fire after the crash. They confirmed two people, thought to have been aboard the gyrocopter, died in the crash. A person who was on the ground was taken to a hospital. The Sheriff's Office said they first got a call about the crash just after 2:45 p.m. No one was inside the mobile homes at the time of the crash, according to the Sheriff's Office. FAA investigators later Tuesday confirmed that two people were aboard the gyrocopter at the time of the crash. Spectrum Bay News 9 reporter Laurie Davison is en route to the crash … [Read more...] about 2 Dead, 1 Hurt After Gyrocopter Crashes Into Sebring Mobile Homes
Helicopter Crash Florida: Chopper Crashes Into Mobile Home Park In Sebring
U.S. UPDATE: 4:26 p.m. EDT—The Highlands County Sheriff's Office confirmed another person died as a result of a helicopter crash in Sebring, Florida, on Tuesday, bringing the total to two people. Both people were believed to have been inside the helicopter at the time of the crash. One other person was injured, who was on the ground at the time. Original story: A helicopter crashed into a mobile home in Sebring, Florida, on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least one person. Authorities said another person was also taken to the hospital. The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the helicopter crashed into the Sebring Falls Mobile Home Park. The sheriff’s office said two homes were on fire as a result, but nobody was believed to have been inside either of the homes. One home was completely destroyed, WFLA-TV reported, while another was damaged. A video posted on social media by someone driving past the scene showed thick plumes of black smoke rising from the … [Read more...] about Helicopter Crash Florida: Chopper Crashes Into Mobile Home Park In Sebring