+++ R.I.P. Ben +++
 

....first, finding the right words is completely impossible for me right now...

last night i got a phone call from a good friend in the USA that a mutual friend of ours died in hospital that day after he crashed with his Carrera GT at an FOC event... :(

...it really pains me to death to announce that my good friend Ben Keaton won´t be with us any more, he and one of his friends, Cory Rudl, died when Ben tried to avoid a crash at high speed - it´s been NOT his fault :(

...both left behind a beautifly wife and a baby child

http://www.is-mad.com/upload/userfil...r/DSC02211.jpg
http://www.is-mad.com/upload/userfil..._001.sized.jpg

...won´t post any pics from the crash scene, there´re some around and as i have seen on many many other forums there´re topics like this, so if anyone really wants to know more....

for me it´s been a sad sad sad night and the day has been just empty and useless - some will know that the "death thing" also touched me a while back and this is why it´s just sooooo hard for me right now, hope u guys understand when i won´t be here for some time now and that Porsche Central is more or less closed for me right now...

please feel free to post some lines of condolences to their families and friends, personally i can´t comment on anything more... :cry:


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...and, when you have comforted youself, you´ll be glad to have known me....


"Death ends a life, not a friendship."



Antoine de Saint-Exupery & Jack Lemmon

Oh man thats very very sad to hear :( You actually knew him. We all understand that its a hard moment for you St.Anger.

Sad news indeed, my best wishes to both families and you st-anger and other friends of these guys. :(
I think everyone will fully understand your absence from PC for the time being.... :wink:

:(

I'm terribly sorry to hear about the loss St Anger. My condolences. My cousin was at the track at the time and i feel touched also by what happened.. It's never good to hear of somebody passing on through circumstances such as these.
My thoughts and prayers to Ben, his family, and all who knew him.
It is not my place to guess - though it seems an enthusiast went out doing what he loved best. May God rest his soul. RIP

This is just terrible. I don't know what to say.

Condolences to their families and friends.

My condolences to their families and friends. Really sad new. My best wishes to you to st-anger :(

:( Im sorry St-Anger = RIP =

My condolences goes out to his family...

When reading the text I was wondering wethear this crash is the same as the one posted in the other topic. May your friends RIP, condolences to their families. It's even more sad seeing as how young the child is... :(

i'm sorry to hear that the death of these two, obviously great people, is hitting so close to you st-anger. This is indeed a sad day.

R.I.P.

*sigh*, so sad, it must be hard for their relatives, and I feel very bad about their child.


R.I.P

I wish the family and you St-Anger a lot of strength.

Damn... Very sad news... :(

I really don't know what to say...

R.I.P. Ben.

My condolences to their families and friends too. In this situation no words are the right ones....

god this is bad, i really don't have words...I'm sorry, my condolences to the family.. :(

Pictures of the baby are sad enough. Sorry to hear this happened. I feel so sorry for you and your friends wife. R.I.P.

st-anger, its hard to know what to say. my condolences to the families. today is definately a sad day.

my condolences to the family and friends.

no words are right for such a situation....

Tragic news. Always painful to see, but even worse when it's someone close to home.
My condolences to the family :(

Im not sure what to say here, its extremley sad situation, my condolences to the family and freinds of these two enthusiast. Very sad to see the images of the young child, and the father he/her will be without. :cry:

Felt horrible when i heard about this...didn't know him personally but always read what he had to say on rennteam and Fchat. My condolences

my condolences to the family, friends and you..

there's nothing else to say..

He wasn't a personal friend, but I saw him at meets and he was a really cool guy, always willing to talk about and share his cars with the public. He was a hardcore enthusiast who drove his cars the way they were meant to be driven. It's tragic that such a thing had to happen to such a good person. Sad news indeed, my thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

He always attended these monthly meets in San Diego and I don't think they'll be the same without him. It almost seems surreal; pictures of a happier time:
http://www.motorworld.net/forum/show...ight=san+diego

First post I read today.. like many im lost what to say.
Just want to say all my condolences go to the familys involved and you st.anger.

My deepest condolences. A shocking event. :(

My condolences to family, very sad

I heard about this shocking news, he was a respected member of different car forums. My condolences go to both families and friends.

Rennteam has closed temporarily in respect of Ben's death. Very nice gesture from them.

And unfortunately, Ben wasn't the only victim; Corey Rudl, passenger in Ben's car also passed away...

Again, my condolences to Ben's family and friends, and the same for Corey's relatives. :(

:( Wow, very tragic

Wow...such a small world. My heartfelt condolences go out to Ben's family and friends and Corey's as well. I hope they find the strength they need to carry on in such a hard time. St-anger, stay strong and don't forget the good things in life.

My condolences go to the family of Ben and Corey. The whole Porsche community lost some great Porsche enthusiasts , this is really sad. :(

I dont know him personally but seeing his posts in Fchat it was clear to me that he was an enthusiast of the highest calibre.

According to an eyewitness who was on the track that day, the accident was due to a track worker waving thru another car onto the track at a point where cars are hitting 150 mph on the straight. The Ferrari that merged onto the track couldnt have seen the fast approaching Porsche. Ben swerved to avoid the Ferrari, spun and hit the retaining wall at high speed.

The corner worker should have been more aware of approachin traffic. Also the track entry point coincided with the fastest part of the circuit

My condolences to Ben and his friends family. A fantastic day for them ending in such a way is a tradgedy :cry: I cant imagine what their families are going thru...

Condolences

It's terrible, there are no words

I just posted something on 6speed listing everyone who posted in here so that his family will know he had friends. :(


http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/s...035#post319035

:(

my thoughts and prayers are with Ben, and Corey's families today; i hope they will be able to pull through this tragedy. this is quite likely the sadest news ive read here :(

i didnt know ben myself, but based upon other's comments, he truly was a great person, and passionate auto-enthusiast... and it seems to let less fortunate to live vicariously through him. St-anger, i also offer you my most sencere respects for the loss of a good friend; may he rest in peace

:( :cry:

my condolences man.

i lost my brother about a year ago, so i know what your going through. Sorry for your loss man.

RIP Ben......... :(

I'm speechless....

I honestly do not know what to say - It could have been anyone of us.... :cry:

god bless

my condolences for both families, all my support to u st.anger

R.I.P.

Seeing that picture of his little girl in the drivers seat really hits the heart hard. :cry:

At least he was doing something he loved, and that's the most important. :roll:

Maybe now he's in a better place than us....

RIP

^^^ RIP
If I have to go, that's the way to go ...

Sorry about your lost St. Anger.

Even more sympathies go to the families.

So sad to hear that... R.I.P.
my condolences to all the family... :(

sry m8:(

D.E.P

Just read this thread :? and it is very sad. It's always hard to find something to say in these circumstances. Life is certainly very strange, my wife had an accident 5 days ago with my two childs and if they were not wounded, it could have been much more serious had the car been 50 cm farther ...
It made me think that morning you go to your job without any trouble and that suddenly your life can take a very bad way :?
Unfortunatly, it doesn't help to accept ... :(

My thoughts go towards their families and friends :(

When I read about the death of Ben and Cory I was deeply affected. At first I found it rather odd since I didn’t know either of them but I felt compelled to learn more about them and from what little I have read them both seemed to be incredibly gifted and caring individuals. It is sad when we lose people like this as they seem to be so rare these days.

As the knowledge of their death continued to weigh upon me I wondered why it had affected me so much and I came up with two reasons which I think that we can all relate to. First, is the affect that their death had on st-anger, who I consider to be a great friend. While I didn’t know either directly I feel a deep sadness because of the sorrow that st-anger is feeling for their loss and indirectly I feel a small portion of the sadness that st-anger is feeling because he is my friend. Secondly, I think that we as car enthusiasts can all relate to both Ben and Cory because of their love of cars and driving them to their fullest potential. I don’t think that there is a one of us that wouldn’t have climbed into that CGT to try and experience the trill that the were engaged in shortly before their death. As a result, for myself anyways, I think how their fate could become my fate. It makes you reflect on the danger inherent in the passion we all share for fast cars. Life is so short and events like this make one reflect on our values and decisions and how they affect our lives.

As is the case in almost all deaths, I think the people hurt the most are the loved ones left behind. For those that pass on I believe reside in a better state. I’d like to extend my best wishes and deepest sorrow to those that knew and loved both Ben and Cory. May you feel some comfort and peace in the lives they lived and the peace I believe they have now obtained.