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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, June 20, 2009

Speedboats crash in rainy race on NY lake; 2 hurt


Associated Press

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Authorities and witnesses say a speedboat sliced through a broken-down competitor and tossed it into the air in a thunderous crash while they raced off Syracuse. Both drivers are hospitalized in fair condition after one was cut out of his mangled cockpit with power saws.

The Hydrofest race was stopped because of bad weather after Saturday's accident on Onondaga Lake, but organizers say the hydroplane boat event will resume Sunday.

Witness Jack Lowe says rain made visibility poor when driver Jimmy Shane of Havre de Grace, Md., rounded a turn and ran into Pierre Matheu's idled boat, knifing through it and knocking it about 20 feet into the air.

Liverpool Fire Chief Chris Frani says firefighters worked for about 40 minutes to free Matheu from his cockpit. Matheu is from Canada.