Lacey Man Killed During Tragic Afternoon At The Point Pleasant Beach Grand Prix

Hundreds had turned out for the Point Pleasant Beach Grand Prix on a sunny pre-Memorial Day Sunday afternoon, eager to watch the powerboats race for the title.

But things went wrong very quickly. One powerboat - Smith Brothers CRC - went airborne and crashed on top of the Repeat Offender, Mayor Stephen Reid told nj.com.

The impact killed David Raabe of Lacey Township, the throttle man for the Repeat Offender, Reid and Toni Potthoff, president of the New jersey Offshore Powerboat Racing Association said.

Two other men, brothers Rich and Pete Smith aboard the Smith Brothers CRC, were thrown into the water by the impact, but were rescued. The transom of their boat was ripped off in the collision and sank, according to the report.

The Repeat Offender's helmsman, whose identity Potthoff could not immediately confirm, was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune with critical injuries, Reid said.

It was a sad ending to what should have been the highlight of Point Pleasant Beach's three-day extravaganza highlighting the event.

"It's a shame," said Pat Kowalonek, another race attendee. "Everyone wanted to have a good time but it turned into a tragic accident. I feel terrible for the driver and the families."

But the recently revived race had been shortened considerably since the Grand Prix's heyday in the 19702 and 1980s, from more than 200 miles to four miles.

Roughly 35 powerboats took part in the newly-revived 2016 Grand Prix. The boat races once held a place in Jersey Shore history.

Mayor Stephen Reid - who pushed to revive the event in Point Beach - had called the race a "shot in the arm" for Point Pleasant Beach businesses before Sunday's accident..

This is a developing story. Patch will update when more information is available.

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Image: Courtesy of News12 New Jersey