Ostrava - Fifty-six year old Alois Fešárek, organizer of the Memorial of Miroslav Fajkus car race, faces criminal charge for being responsible for death of a person and injurying another.
At the Memorial car race, which took place in October this year, a 16-year old racer went too fast and his vehicle spun into the crowd, hitting two viewers.
They happened to be standing in a wrong place, according to the police, but it was not their fault. "It was the organizer who told them to stand there," said the police investigator Jaromír Vávra. "According to the authorization document, people were supposed to stand only behind the crash barriers and above the road of the route," he added.
However, the viewers stood also behind the simple strip, which did not protect them. "It was a flat road but it was in the braking zone where racers ought to slow down in full speed," said the police officer.
Not isolated case
The October accident was not isolated in the country. The latest crash took place on Saturday December 6 in Prague where two people died during the rally. Last month a car swerved into a crowd in Pilsen, killing six.
Czech Motor Sports Federation is the governing body whose responsibilities include approval of championships. The Federation member was also a member of the safety committee of the Memorial of Miroslav Fajkus in Ostrava.
From the beginning head of the Memorial car race Fešárek has insisted that the safety measures had been in place. Now he faces one to five years behind the bar.
Ironically, Miroslav Fajkus was a promising car racer who died in May 2008 at the age of 43 during an international rally, which took place in the Czech Republic.
No driving licence needed
The sixteen year old racer is not to be blamed, say the police. There is no evidence that he did it on purpose.
Car racers may go at any speed they desire and they do not need a driving licence. "But they all are very experienced drivers," says Luděk Kopecký of the Motor Sports Federation.
According to the experienced car sports journalist Petr Minařík, car rallies are very well organized and secured in the Czech Republic.
"We are not behind the world. The problem is Czech viewers often lack discipline," says Minařík.
