Mechanical Failure to Car Linked to Edwards’ Death

Photo: Sean Edwards Foundation

An inquest into the death of Sean Edwards has provided further details, although no conclusive evidence on the exact mechanical failure to the car the 26-year-old was in at the time of the tragic accident nearly two years ago.

Edwards died of severe head, pelvic and limb injuries during a coaching session with a 20-year-old Australian driver at Queensland Raceway in Oct. 2013.

A week-long inquest in Brisbane determined a number of factors were at play, including worn brakes on the Porsche 996 GT3 Cup car, as well the possibility of the throttle jamming wide open or the car’s ABS system being triggered.

German mechanic Thomas Gyori testified Tuesday, stating the car’s brakes were inspected one day prior to the accident at the request of Edwards.

“Sean came in and said, [the] brakes, they feel a bit funny, spongy, soft, I can’t remember which word he was saying,” Gyori said in a report in The Australian.

“I looked at them and they [were] in my eyes they have been alright, they’ve been good to drive. Otherwise, I would say, ‘hey, we need new brake pads.'”

Video footage from inside the car appeared to show driver Will Holzheimer pumping the brakes before impact, while there were photos shown of badly worn brake pads taken after the crash.

Alternatively, Australian driver Karl Reindler said in the hearing on Thursday that the car could have sustained a stuck throttle or ABS issues.

Reindler said the ABS, if triggered, would make the brake pedal firm and could explain why Holzheimer was seen hitting the brakes.

Holzheimer, who sustained serious injuries, does not remember the accident and was spared from appearing at the inquest due to “physiological scars” he still faces.

Read More at The Australian.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John