A high-speed wooden race car flying down a steep street in Ecuador turned a festive celebration into pure pandemonium Sunday when the driver lost control and plowed straight into a pack of spectators.
The gravity-powered “coche de madera”, a homemade, no-engine wooden vehicle that can hit terrifying speeds on the steep cobblestone hills of San Roque, in Antonio Ante canton of Imbabura province, veered off course and smashed into barriers and the crowd lining the route. Shocking videos circulating on social media show the car barreling downhill, then the sudden impact as people scramble, scream and rush to help the fallen.
Several spectators were hurt, with early reports putting the number of injured at around six to 10. Victims suffered mostly contusions and light wounds. Emergency crews treated people on the scene as the crowd looked on in horror.
The race was part of the big 128th anniversary party for the parish of San Roque, a local tradition that draws big crowds every year for these old-school downhill dashes. Think soapbox derby on steroids: no motors, just gravity, guts, and wooden frames screaming down tight, curvy streets with spectators packed right along the edges.
It wasn’t the first time the event has gone sideways. In 2023, a similar crash during the same race left 18 people injured, half a dozen of them needing hospital trips. The competition was suspended that day. Apparently the lesson didn’t stick.
Locals and online commenters immediately piled on, calling out the lack of real safety measures for an event that regularly turns streets into high-speed hazard zones. One viral video captures the exact moment of impact and the frantic scramble that followed, people climbing over railings, others kneeling to check on the injured, the whole street in disarray.
Authorities responded to the scene, but official tallies of the injuries were still trickling in Monday. No deaths have been confirmed despite some early dramatic headlines claiming “luto” (mourning) in the community.
These wooden-car races remain a beloved, adrenaline-soaked tradition in parts of Ecuador’s highlands. But once again, the line between thrilling spectacle and preventable disaster proved razor-thin on the streets of San Roque
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