Local men hurt in speedway accident

Published 12:00 am Monday, October 6, 2003

From Tribune staff reports

LA CROSSE, Wis. &045; Darin Toot and Chuck Beer Jr., both of Albert Lea, are in the intensive care unit at Gunderson Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse, Wis., today, according to a hospital spokesman.

Both men were injured about 9:40 p.m. Friday in an accident at the La Crosse Speedway in West Salem, Wis. They were reportedly part of a crew in the pit area when an accident on the track caused one of the vehicles to go over a wall, striking both men.

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The driver, Jason Thoma, suffered minor injuries, according to medical personnel on the scene, and was not immediately taken to a hospital.

The La Crosse Tribune said several witnesses reported the car was involved in a crash on a straightaway section of the track, then hit and popped over the retaining wall.