Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

David Smith, 22, of Barrington Hills, Illinois, died Sunday, July 25, from injuries sustained when he collided with a deer while racing in a World Karting Association (WKA) 125cc shifter kart event July 24 at Summit Point Raceway, located in rural Summit Point, West Virginia, according to a posting on the official WKA website.

Confirming the incident to Roadracingworld.com, Summit Point Raceway owner Bill Scott said it was the second collision that he knew of between a deer and a vehicle at speed on the racetrack in the last 25 years. The other collision, according to Scott, was between a deer and a Porsche.

“We went to the game warden, and they gave us permission to shoot (the deer), as if it were an airport,” said Scott. “We did that for a while, but there’s just so many of them. We’re gonna have to figure out some way to identify that deer are in the place. They usually don’t come from the outside during an event. They come from inside the track. We’ll have to scout the woods before an event or everyday or something.

“It’s a tough one. I don’t know what to do about it. You put up Airfence to keep guys OK, but you could hit a rabbit and die. I’m a racer. I come from that background. So we try to make the place better and safer every year. You’re not looking at an owner who tries to side-step problems, but this one is very difficult.

“We know the problem exists, and we’ll do whatever it takes to not let this happen again.”