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SEBRING (FOX 13) – The Highlands County Sheriff's Office announced that 24-year-old dredger Kat Moller had died during a race on the Sebring International Raceway when a debris hit her helmet.
Investigators said the Moeller jet fledger had left the runway, hitting a timekeeping device, before crashing. It was not clear whether the debris hit Moeller's helmet before or after she had left the circuit.
The accident occurred Thursday night at an exhibition in Highlands County.
The Highlands County Sheriff's Office said Moller was the only vehicle to take off from the start / finish straight into the 1 / 8th mile drag race.
During the first of his two races, the Moller dragster drifted from the left lane to the center line, crossing the center and hitting a stopwatch at the finish line. A parachute deployed at about the same time. It was not known if the parachute was triggered manually or automatically.
As the dragster continued on its course, it veered further to the right, scraping the right retaining wall before coming to a stop after a low-speed impact with an anti-tire barrier near the Turn One on the circuit.
The track safety officers and the emergency medical personnel immediately responded to the accident site, where Moller was declared dead on the spot.
Although the investigators have determined more details about what happened, the racing community laments the mourning of one of its brightest stars.
"His presence, his sweet presence, it ravages everyone, we will feel it for a long time," said Bill Lee, father.
Lee works at Professional Automotive Services in Palmetto and met Moller for the first time when she started as a junior dragster at 11 years old.
"I trained her to drive in. He was a good driver," he said.
Moller was in his fifth season as a driver for Larsen Motorsports. According to the team's website, Moller graduated in mechanical engineering and was pursuing graduate studies at Florida Tech.
The race was in his blood.
"Kat died doing what she liked to do, she loved running with that car, she'd been driving her for five years, she knew what she was doing, she was well trained, something weird was going to happen," she said. Lee.
She grew up in her father's bodyshop in Sarasota and followed in her footsteps with her running career.
"I do not know if it was speed, the adrenaline rush or the opportunity to make friends for life," Lee said.
In 2013, Moller told USF News that the race was everything for her.
"I like speed, I like the atmosphere on the track and the thrill of the track," said Moller.
Investigators from the Highland County Sheriff's Office are asking anyone who could have attended the race and filmed the crash to call the Criminal Investigations Unit at 863-402-7250.
A statement on behalf of Moller's family has been issued declaring: "Katerina's mother, father and brother would like to express their thanks and love to all Katarina Moller's fans and friends during this time of need. Funerals are for Monday at 6 pm at Epiphany Cathedral, in the center of Venice, and the burial will be held Tuesday at 11 am at Sarasota Memorial Park. "
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