Car Plows Into Crowd at Indiana Boat Race

MADISON, Ind. – A teen who drove a car into a crowd Sunday afternoon at an Ohio River speedboat race appeared to be slumped over the steering wheel before the crash that injured 10 people, police said.

Police identified the driver as Michael Bowen, 18, of Madison, according to a report by The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky.

Bowen was unconscious when he was pulled from the water, Madison Police Chief Bob Wolf said during a news conference. A juvenile passenger in the car also was rescued and was treated and released from a local hospital in the town midway between Louisville and Cincinnati.

Officers had interviewed Bowen, but the investigation was continuing and it was unknown whether alcohol or drugs were involved, Wolf said.

Four of the injured, including the driver, were airlifted to hospitals in Louisville, Ky., about 40 miles away, Wolf said. One was sent to Kosair Children's Hospital and the others were taken to University Hospital, officials said.

Wolf said two of the injured bystanders were in critical condition and the other was listed in serious condition. He said he did not have any specifics on their injuries.

Six people were treated and released at King's Daughter's Hospital in Madison, hospital spokeswoman Nadja Boone said.

David Edds, of Owensboro, Ky., was at the Madison Regatta and told The Associated Press he heard a loud noise and saw a car in the air.

"I saw one young lady just frozen in her path, just standing at the water's edge and the car ran directly over the top of her," he said.

Edds, who is writing a book on hydroplane racing, caught the shrieking crowd and emergency sirens on tape.

"There were fans that at first were shocked and then ran down to start helping folks and there was just a trail of folks lying on the ground in the path of where the car had gone," he said.

Racing was stopped following the crash, which came shortly before the scheduled running of the main event, the Indiana Governor's Cup. Dave Villwock, of Auburn, Wash., driving the U-1 Miss Elam Plus, was declared the winner based on points.

Police said the car drove through the crowd, hit a golf cart used by officials who ducked for cover and then went airborne.

Madison is in southeast Indiana, midway between Louisville, Ky., and Cincinnati. The annual race for unlimited hydroplanes draws thousands of people to the riverside community of about 13,000 every Fourth of July weekend.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.