Two dead in Cobra accident yesterday on Long Island - please be careful out there

[767Jockey]

Guys,

A Cobra owner and his girlfriend were killed in a tragic and completely preventable accident on Long Island yesterday (Sunday) morning. We've all said it and read it a million times on here, but it bears repeating - these cars will bite you hard when you least expect it. PLEASE know your car and be super careful out there.

A friend is in law enforcement and worked the accident, so the info is as accurate as it comes. There is a weekly car gathering on Sunday mornings at the beach on Ocean Parkway. The Cobra was leaving and the owner was encouraged by the crowd to do a burnout on departure from the event. He complied and lost control of the vehicle in doing the burnout. He went off the road into a cable guardrail. He was instantly decapitated and his girlfriend partially decapitated, with both tragically being killed instantly.

I write this neither to draw attention to myself nor to disrespect, ridicule or accuse the driver who passed away, nor his girlfrend. There is video circulating of the accident taken by a spectator which I will not post out of respect for the victims. I write this only to once again raise awareness of what these very powerful, very light short wheelbase cars will do when you least expect it, in an attempt to avoid yet another tragedy. Please, please be careful out there. These Cobras are not Mustangs. They are not Camaros. They are not Corvettes.

Please keep the victims, their families and friends in your thoughts today.

https://www.longisland.com/articles/...two-lives.html

[Alfa02]

Thank you 767Jockey, for your post. At 58yo, you would think he would have more sense, than to do (what)? "Entertain the Crowd", 99% of them have their camera at the ready just for this sort of thing to happen, (Hopefully not to watch or film people die) If this stops just one person from doing something stupid, then their deaths were not in vain. My prayers to their Families. Tom.

[CowtownCobra]

RIP Long Islanders

[patrickt]

I read a couple of reports of this on reddit and some other sites. This might be the most horrific Cobra crash I've encountered. Unfortunately, sometimes burnouts go bad (that's the preliminary report, at least). But, you know, if you find yourself having completely lost control of your Cobra, jam both pedals in hard and pray you get lucky. If he had done that early enough that might of pulled it out for him.

[mrmustang]

Several years ago, one of our own came dangerously close to having a similar situation (not due to an excessive burnout, but partially under the same type of highway barrier), ex girlfriend of the owner might even have the scars on her body to prove just how close they both came to the same horrible end. I'll not name names, but he was on the phone with me today talking about the same subject. If he wants to post about it, I'll let him share.....As of right now, I've seen several different photographs, they will haunt me for a long time.

Bill S.

[twobjshelbys]

When a burnout goes good Instead of thinking "here but go wrong. grace of God go i" some think "I know how to do this" and think they are immune to the random but countless ways they go wrong.

I wonder if Mr burnout here saw this. It only takes once for it to go wrong in a horrible way

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

This news has haunted me all day. So terrible to flush out two lives just driving from a car show. How many of these stories will we hear of before we (Cobra owners) learn to respect what we are driving. They are dangerous even when driven properly, vicious killers when abused. If guys want to race, do it on the raceway, not the street. Burnouts are for Nascar kiddies, and I don't like them there either. Just so upset...

[sgianino]

Very Very Sad
God rest their souls.

[Harpoon PV2]

One thing that doesn't get mentioned enough here, is how teensy tiny even the mighty big block Cobra's are! A 63 small block Cobra actually has a lower drag coefficient then a 63 Stingray. It's not streamlining, since we know Cobra's have the front end like a brick, they are just so small! While we see all Cobra's, from a connoisseur restoration, to one of the 70s kits with MG doors, most other drivers don't, and it is getting worse with the giant trucks and SUV's that are jacked up 20 miles high. Live by the old motorcycle adage, "act as if all drivers can't see you!" Stay safe, Dennis

[DanEC]

I agree - a good dose of paranoia in traffic is a good thing in a Cobra or other small, vintage car.

[Trickcobra1]

This was local to me,Absolutely horrible. There is more to it that’s being said though.

[Snake2998]

A good friend of mine stopped at a Stop street in the suburbs and at the encouragement of some passing school kids (pedestrians) decided to do a burnout. He lost control of the car and drove it through someones garden wall, fortunately his own self esteem, the car and garden wall were the only things damaged.

This was a car with a very mild 350 motor making, I would guess around 350 HP, so it doesn't take much to cause what could be a deadly accident in these cars.

Lesson learned by all his friends with Cobras!

One interesting comment from him was that the kids where watching the front wheels to see them spin.

[Snake2998]

Duplicate post

[HealeyRick]

Originally Posted by Trickcobra1

This was local to me,Absolutely horrible. There is more to it that’s being said though.

I did see the video on Twitter that's since been taken down. There appeared to be a spectator standing in the road that caused the driver to swerve to the left and go off the road.

[Trickcobra1]

Originally Posted by HealeyRick

I did see the video on Twitter that's since been taken down. There appeared to be a spectator standing in the road that caused the driver to swerve to the left and go off the road.

Video was sent to authorities, He clearly caused this accident not the driver being reckless as everyone seems to be saying.

[carmine]

I have also seen the video before it got pulled and I agree with Trickcobra 1 that accident caused by spectator purposely jumping in front of cobra as he was driving by causing him to swerve to avoid.

[Sawdust]

I hope that spectator gets charged with murder! RIP

[Alfa02]

So, is anyone saying, the driver was NOT doing a burn-out/Spinning his tires?? I didn't see the video; but did see a picture of the skid marks (Looked to be rear tires spinning) not braking marks? That the 100% reason for the accident was a person stepping out in the road, and the driver was not showing off (0%), or the two combined (50/50%)? Maybe someone can clear that up?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Alfa02

So, is anyone saying, the driver was NOT doing a burn-out/Spinning his tires??

And, by any chance, did that particular Cobra have an automatic in it as opposed to a stick? In my personal experience, burn outs with an automatic are more prone to control problems than those with a stick car. Others might disagree on that point though.

[twobjshelbys]

Regardless of external influences, the operator of a motor vehicle has to have control of it at all times.