Carter was born in Montreal, Canada, and grew up in a working-class neighborhood. Despite having little formal education, he dropped out of school to pursue a career in car stunts, initially performing with a team of traveling daredevils. As his skills improved, he transitioned to becoming a solo act, performing death-defying stunts at racetracks across North America, earning him the nickname "The Mad Canadian".
Over the course of his 20-year career, Carter became notorious for his daring antics, which included jumping over cars, buildings, and even bodies of water. He developed a reputation as a showman, always pushing the limits of what was thought possible, and his fame spread far and wide.
In 1976, Carter embarked on his most ambitious project yet: attempting to jump over the Saint Lawrence River in a rocket-powered Lincoln Continental. The preparations for the jump were documented in a film called "The Devil at Your Heels", directed by Robert Fortier and produced by the National Film Board of Canada. After months of preparation and self-promotion, Carter secured a $250,000 sponsorship deal with ABC to air the stunt on an episode of "Wide World of Sports".
Construction of a 1,400-foot takeoff ramp began on 50 acres of farmland near Morrisburg, Ontario, and Evel Knievel, a renowned stunt driver, even visited the site to offer his expertise. However, delays and mechanical issues caused Carter to miss the broadcast date, and ABC ultimately withdrew its support.
Undeterred, Carter resumed preparations for the jump in 1977 and again in 1978, but both attempts were ultimately canceled. On September 26, 1979, Carter got as close as five seconds to takeoff before aborting the jump due to mechanical failure. The planned jump had been sponsored by a film producer in exchange for exclusive film rights, and Carter was left feeling disappointed and frustrated.
Believing that Carter had lost his nerve, the film crew secretly arranged for American stunt driver Kenny Powers to perform the jump while Carter was in his hotel room in Ottawa. The Powers jump was a disaster, with the car traveling only 506 feet in the air before breaking apart and crash-landing in the water. Powers suffered severe injuries, including eight broken vertebrae, three broken ribs, and a fractured wrist.
Despite this setback, Carter continued to pursue his passion for stunt driving, attempting to jump a pond in Peterborough, Ontario in 1983. During the jump, his car suffered a malfunction, and Carter crashed badly, but vowed to try again. Several months later, he made another attempt, but the vehicle missed its target landing ramp by 30 meters and landed on its roof. Tragically, Carter was killed instantly.
Throughout his life, Carter's love of speed and thrill-seeking drove him to push the limits of what was thought possible, earning him a reputation as a daredevil and a showman. Though his life was cut short, his legacy lives on as a testament to his bravery and determination.
