HART COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia State Fire Marshal's Office announced this week it is investigating a wreck that killed a spectator at a race track in Hart County last week.
The incident happened at Hartwell Speedway on July 3.
According to an Associated Press report, Paul Ballenger of Royston, Ga. was killed when a car lost control during a race and crashed into a wall, careening over it and through a fence into the stands.
The car struck Ballenger, while another man and a nine-year-old boy were reportedly hurt. The driver of the car was not injured, according to the AP.
A memorial page described Ballenger as a 58-year-old auto body repair technician at Ed Murdoch Ford in Lavonia. It said he was survived by two sons, two daughters and his girlfriend.
Hartwell Speedway canceled its races for this weekend and said in a Facebook post that "we would first like to extend our sympathy and offer prayers to all three families that were affected by Saturday night's events."
The racetrack's plan is to reopen for next Saturday, July 17.
On Thursday Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King said the State Fire Marshal's Office would investigate the incident.
In a brief statement the commissioner did not suggest any wrongdoing by the track operators. He said investigators will be looking at whether its permits were current and the track up to code when the wreck occurred.
“Tragically, one person was killed, and two others were injured in this accident,” King's statement said. “My investigators are inspecting the track’s permits and ensuring the track itself was up to code at the time of the incident. Our office will provide more updates as soon as they are available.”
The Facebook post by the track's operators said, "We know this is a hard time for everyone and we ask that everyone be patient and help each other through this just like the racing community always does."