A 36-year-old employee at the Exotics Course at Walt Disney World Speedway was killed Sunday after a Lamborghini in which he was riding crashed into a guardrail.
The crash happened around 3:30 p.m., according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The driver of the car "failed to maneuver the vehicle through the course," said Sgt. Kim Montes, of the Florida Highway Patrol. The driver then lost control of the car, and the right side of the Lamborghini struck the guardrail.
The passenger, who has been identified as Gary Terry, of Davenport, was pronounced dead at the scene. Petty Holdings LLC, which operates the Exotics Course at Walt Disney World Speedway, said Terry was a driving instructor and senior operations manager at the Exotic Driving Experience.
The driver of the car, 24-year-old Tavon Watson, of Kissimmee, was transported to Florida Hospital Celebration Health with minor injuries, Montes said.
A spokeswoman for Petty Holdings said all operations at the speedway would be closed Monday and Tuesday.
Petty Holdings issued this initial statement Sunday:
On behalf of everyone in the organization, it is with a very heavy heart that we extend our deepest sympathies to those involved in today's tragic accident in Orlando. Florida Highway Patrol is currently investigating the incident.
The company issued this updated statement Monday morning:
Yesterday we lost a longtime, valued team member of the Exotic Driving Experience family. Senior operations manager and professional driving instructor, Gary Terry, was fatally injured in an on-track incident at the Walt Disney World Speedway. Our thoughts and prayers are with Gary’s family and friends. He will be sorely missed.
Walt Disney World announced in February that the Richard Petty Driving Experience, which opened in 1997, would no longer operate out of the Walt Disney World Speedway as of July 1.
But a spokeswoman for Petty Holdings said Monday the company's last operating day at Walt Disney World Speedway would be Aug. 9.
The crash remains under investigation, troopers said.