MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two accidents killed four men overnight near Liberty Park, where thousands of bikers gathered for a national motorcycle roundup.
Three of those victims were in a fiery crash between a golf cart and a car — those in the car bolted and have yet to be found.
Around 1 a.m., Memphis firefighters responded to a car fire at Southern Avenue and Early Maxwell Boulevard. The crash involved a gray Chrysler 300 and two golf carts.
Three men were pronounced dead, and one man was taken to Regional One Hospital in non-critical condition.
The unknown driver and passengers of the Chrysler fled the scene on foot, police say. Witnesses said there were three people in the Chrysler.
A witness to the crash says the men were in two golf carts on their way back with fuel for a generator.
He was told some kids were in the Chrysler were speeding and took a wide turn hitting the golf carts. The crash caused the carts to go up in flames because of the gasoline they were carrying.
The remains of a golf cart were seen being towed away on a truck Thursday morning.
“I remember seeing the fire when I was coming … something told me to go that way,” said witness Amin Makin, who said his nephew was the man sent to the hospital, and the three men killed were like brothers to him.
“When I went up, I saw a body laying in the ground. I said wait a minute. Something is laying in the ground,” Makin said. “Police saying they want dental records because they really can’t identify nobody. … It was a horrible way to go. We just trying to find out now who did it and why, what happened.”
Another witness said the car hit the golf cart head-on.
“Everything was an explosion,” Debra Miller said. “It’s a tragic event.”
Makin said he was told the car had been stolen, though Memphis Police have not confirmed that.
Anyone with information is urged to call Sgt. J. Binford of the Memphis Police Department STIS Bureau (901-636-4076).
📡 See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South.
📧 Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox.
A separate wreck Wednesday night killed another man, who was on a motorcycle. Police say it happened a little after 9 p.m. when a vehicle crashed at Early Maxwell and Southern Avenue.
An adult male motorcyclist was taken to Methodist University in critical condition. He died from his injuries.
An estimated 30,000 bikers rolled into Memphis this week, prompting city officials to warn about possible heavy traffic.
The National Bikers Roundup is scheduled for Aug. 1-6 at Tiger Lane in Liberty Park, formerly the Fairgrounds. Gates opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday.
