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Shoes and other debris are scattered along a roadway as emergency personnel investigate a car crash on Indian Head Highway, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, in Accokeek, Md. (AP / Haraz N. Ghanbari)

View larger image A police officer. left, comforts a man after he learned his relative was killed in a car crash on Indian Head Highway, in Accokeek, Md. on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008. (AP / Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Car hits crowd at street race in Maryland, 8 dead

Updated Sat. Feb. 16 2008 10:47 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

A car smashed into a crowd of spectators at an illegal street race in suburban Maryland Saturday, killing eight people and injuring five, police said.

The crowd of about 50 spectators had spilled onto a highway when a passing white sedan hit them.

Investigators said two cars were involved in the race, but not the sedan. When the cars sped off down the highway, some spectators had moved onto the road to watch.

It's believed smoke from the spinning tires of the two cars had made it difficult for the driver of the sedan to see the crowd.

"There were just bodies everywhere; it was horrible," said Crystal Gaines, 27.

Her father William Gaines Sr., 61, was among the dead.

"He wasn't breathing, he wasn't moving," she said. "His body was in pieces."

John Courtney identified his brother Mark, 33, as being among the dead after being shown a photo by police.

"He liked going to the race track, watching races," Courtney said. "It's going to take a toll on my family for a long time."

One officer said the accident scene is one of the worst he's ever witnessed.

"This is a situation that could have been avoided, and it's a very tragic situation," said Prince George's County Police Cpl. Clinton Copeland.

The accident happened at about 3:40 a.m. local time. The crime scene extended almost 200 metres.

Police Capt. Donald Frick said the driver of the white sedan didn't suffer any serious injuries.

It was earlier reported that a passenger in the sedan had been killed, but police later clarified that it was actually a spectator who had ended up inside the car.

Several vehicles were also hit. A tractor-trailer that came upon the accident scene may have injured a person while trying to avoid the crash, police said.

The crash happened in Accokeek, about 30 kilometres south of Washington.

Investigators are on the scene trying to figure out what happened. They currently have "more questions than answers," Copeland said.