A man died in a vehicle crash during a sanctioned racing event Friday evening at Columbia Airport, according to the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office.
The man was reportedly racing another vehicle on the runway at the airport when he lost control of the vehicle he was driving and rolled it several times, Sheriff’s Sgt. Jacob Ostoich said in an email sent at 6:17 p.m. Saturday in response to questions sent by The Union Democrat at 11:20 a.m. Saturday.
Ostoich said the man suffered major injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency medical personnel were on standby at the airport when the solo crash occurred, he said.
The incident occurred ahead of this weekend’s Father’s Day Fly-In being hosted at the airport Saturday and Sunday. The Sheriff's Office is reportedly the lead investigating agency.
A brief statement sent by Ostoich described the race as a “closed course sanctioned event” which “allows participants to drive their race cars down the airport runway,” though it did not provide any additional details on the nature of the event or who sponsored it.
The man’s name was not released, nor was his age or town of residence. Ostoich didn’t address specific questions sent by The Union Democrat, but sent a statement containing the above information. The exact time the incident occurred was not specified.
Ostoich said he was not at his office Saturday and was not due back until next week, but he recommended following up with the designated spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office on Monday.
