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Witnesses Describe Moment Drunk Driver Plowed Through Fans At Daytona Racetrack

By Shelley Hazen
Published on: 06:48 PST, Mar 7, 2016

Four people were hit by a drunk driver who plowed through the infield at the Daytona International Speedway Saturday.

AJ Maddox, 24, was one of the four people hit by Abbie Kinney’s black pickup truck. He told Fox25 Orlando that he was having a good time at Daytona’s infield when the truck “barreled” down the street, hitting RVs in the way.

“I got lucky. I really did. I don’t know how I’m standing here right now. If I had been standing a foot to the left or the right, who knows.”

In addition to hitting and injuring four people, the drunk driver is accused of damaging six motorhomes camped at Daytona.

“We tried to scatter as best we could, but two of our best friends got hit. Myself, I had to duck underneath this RV here,” Maddox explained. “We heard a loud bang behind us, as soon as we turned around, she was on top of us.”

Investigators said that four separate witnesses watched the allegedly drunk driver barrel through the Daytona infield.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Kinney, 43, drove into the Daytona infield about 2 a.m. in her Toyota pickup. After the crash, she was found behind the wheel; she then had her blood alcohol checked and was ordered to perform field sobriety tests, Reuters noted.

Police said her blood-alcohol content was double the legal limit; she blew.179 on the first test and.170 on the second. She reportedly had bloodshot eyes, her breath smelled of alcohol, and she walked off balance.

Another witness, who only wanted to be identified by his first name, Nick, told WESH that he watched the drunk driver hit one camper, keep driving, and then hit another, “bust(ing) right up into it.” He estimated that the allegedly drunk driver sped through at 40 mph, but that fact was not confirmed by police.

“She was trashed at first — she didn’t know where she was at. She came out of the truck. She was stumbling. She didn’t know where she was at. This dude came flying, he landed right over here by this truck here.”

Kinney reportedly told an officer on the scene that she’d had three beers before getting behind the wheel and “shouldn’t have been driving,” according to the arrest report.

The alleged drunk driver now faces a slew of charges, including several driving under the influence-related charges, including those associated with the injuries and property damage she caused at Daytona.

The injuries weren’t life-threatening, however, one of Maddox’s friends broke his leg and had to have surgery as a result. He’s now recovering. Another young man with them at the time had to have his hand bandaged. The injuries and condition of the fourth injured person weren’t known. Maddox reported back pain.

“I’m alright. My back’s a little sore,” he said. “I got tossed around pretty good after I got hit.”

As for the drunk driver accused of causing so much mayhem at Daytona this weekend, the young man seemed satisfied she ended up in jail and hopes that she takes a lesson away from the incident.

“She’s in jail. So, hopefully she’ll learn from that. We are lucky to be alive. Hopefully she realizes that.”

Thousands of bikers have descended on Daytona Beach for the area’s 75th annual Bike Week. The Daytona International Speedway is hosting races, vendors, and other motorcycle events throughout the week. The racetrack was also home to motorsports events over the weekend, including the Daytona Supercross. Fans had been camping in the infield the drunk driver sped through.

Kinney has been released from jail.

[Image via Action Sports Photography/Shutterstock]

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