Deceased junior dragster travelling too fast to exit track

An eight-year-old who died in a dragster crash was travelling too fast to negotiate an exit gate she had been instructed to drive through, an inquest has found.

Anita Board died as a result of injuries sustained when she crashed into a wall at an ANDRA event at Perth Motorplex in November 2017.

According to The West Australian, Senior Constable John Turner told the state’s Coroner’s Court that her father Ian Board believed she had not slowed sufficiently to exit the track.

However, instead of continuing to drive straight ahead as taught, she attempted to go through a narrow gateway and hit a wall.

Her head impacted with the steering wheel, causing fatal injuries.

Anita Board had been travelling at over 85km/h just before the crash.

Sen Const Turner, who investigated the incident, also noted that exactly how the wheel-to-head impact occurred could not be ascertained as organisers had removed the wheel and resumed racing before police arrived.

Junior drag racing remains suspended in Western Australia, while the inquest is expected to conclude on Wednesday.