Toronto Feb. 20 — The Metropolitan Toronto Police Service and the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario today presented their findings and recommendations regarding the deaths of PPG CART World Series driver Jeff Krosnoff and course worker Gary Avrin in the Molson Indy Toronto event last July.

Both the promoter of the race "Molson Indy" and the sanctioning organization "Championship Auto Racing Teams" were present at the announcement, which was made here by Dr. Robert Huxter, Regional Coroner for Metropolitan Toronto.

The report states the facts of the incident, noting the accident occurred during the final laps of the race when the car of Stefan Johansson collided with Krosnoff's car as they raced toward turn three in excess of 180 miles per hour on the 92nd lap of the 98-lap event.

The contact resulted in Krosnoff's car becoming airborne, flying into a corner workers' station and then into the debris fencing. The car rolled and rotated violently along the fence before striking a tree located behind the fence and a cement light standard, causing the car to disintegrate. The race was red flagged and stopped on lap 95. Both Krosnoff and Avrin died as a result of their injuries.

Several recommendations were outlined in the Coroner's report including: additional debris fencing on barriers in designated locations around the track; stationing all course workers in areas behind protective fencing with safety cut-outs; and incorporating Metro Toronto Ambulance services into the existing on-track medical emergency procedures to further integrate the medical/rescue response system.

"On behalf of all of us in the CART racing family, I would again like to express our deepest sympathies to the Krosnoff and Avrin families," said Andrew Craig, chief executive officer and president of CART. "Both Jeff and Gary were remarkable individuals who shared our passion for racing and they are missed.

"We commend Dr. Huxter and the investigative team on a well-developed, thorough report. Racing accidents are an unfortunate part of our sport. In this case, there were tragic consequences. The report produced by the Metropolitan Toronto Police Service and the Office of the Coroner provided us with a level of detail that will be immensely helpful in the future. We will use the information to its best effect in our continuing endeavor to make our sport as safe as we possibly can."

Editor's note: A copy of the Coroners report can be obtained from the Ontario Coroner's Office. Call Linda Wirkowski, Molson Indy, at 416/966-6206, for more information.

Source: CART News Service