7-year-old drag racer dies after crash on Florida racetrack

A 7-year-old inferior resistance racer suffered fatal injuries successful a clang connected an Orlando racetrack, conscionable days aft getting a caller car for her birthday.

The family of Elienisse Zoe Diaz announced the small miss died Tuesday aft “fighting for her life” pursuing the tragic mishap connected Sunday astatine Orlando Speed World Dragway.

“It is with immense sadness and devastation that I stock the passing of our saccharine girl, Elienisse Zoe Diaz past night,” a typical for the household wrote connected societal media. “She was called location and entered the gates of eden — afloat healed from her earthly injuries.”

Diaz was severely injured erstwhile she lost control of her Junior Dragster, struck a 34-year-old way employee, past slammed into a factual wall, according to Florida presumption WFTV. The worker’s injuries were not believed to beryllium life-threatening.

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is investigating the crash. The enactment hosts events wherever drivers ages 5-17 contention successful cars that tin reach speeds up to 85 mph. Younger property groups are restricted to “slower times/speeds,” according to the NHRA website. It’s unclear however accelerated Diaz was driving.

The Orlando Speed World Dragway (OSW) mourned the young driver’s decease connected Facebook.

“We are profoundly heartbroken by the tragic incident that took spot astatine OSW connected Sunday,” way officials posted. “Motorsports is built connected passion, but moments similar these punctual america of the risks that travel with what we love.”

Racing tract Dragzine said Diaz celebrated her seventh day Jan. 30 with a caller dragster. It’s unclear if that was the car she was driving erstwhile the fatal collision occurred.

Eastland Christian school, wherever Diaz was a student, said the archetypal grader volition beryllium missed.

“She was a agleam airy successful our schoolhouse community, and we are thankful for the clip we had with her,” schoolhouse officials posted connected societal media. “Her beauteous grin volition beryllium profoundly missed by each of us.”

Fans successful the assemblage said Diaz came from a racing household and called her “a portion of the future.”

She’ll be buried in Orlando connected Tuesday.