Off road truck kills 8, wounds 12

[moparacer]

Here's a video of it. I'm not convinced...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soxtQ2tMTf4

Those people still look too close to the track. Anyone who's even vaguely familiar with drag racing should know that cars can sometimes go airborne. I wouldn't stand anywhere near a track during a race.

Not to mention thats not a drag strip. Its a street that was closed off so Critchley could do a burnout exhibition.

Something like that is very unlikely to happen at a actual drag race event at a sanctioned drag strip.

Back on topic, anyone who spectates and any motorsport events needs to understand there are serious risks involved in doing so.

I sign a waiver every time I go into the track stating I understand so.

Seems to me an event like this should have more planning with barricades and barriers and staff on hand to limit any spectators exposure to the vehicles in the race.

 

[foghorn67]

I almost went to this race. Of course, I don't stand that close. I would have hanged out in the pit area. My friends build these kind of trucks so that's where they would have been

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Seems to me an event like this should have more planning with barricades and barriers and staff on hand to limit any spectators exposure to the vehicles in the race.

Is 100 miles of full fencing and barricades feasible?

 

[MotionMan]

Race spectators aren't the smartest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeE5wzHxdqw#t=1m40s

3:10 to 3:20 = Insane.

Someone needs to explain "apex of the turn" to rally spectators.

MotionMan

 

[Slacker]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_Le_Mans_disaster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXtb5eDUuQw

55 years and we still haven't learned.

 

[Bignate603]

Here's a video of it. I'm not convinced...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soxtQ2tMTf4

Those people still look too close to the track. Anyone who's even vaguely familiar with drag racing should know that cars can sometimes go airborne. I wouldn't stand anywhere near a track during a race.

I still think that the driver in that case was culpable. It wasn't a race, he was just showing off. He knew exactly how close the crowd was but still chose to go for a massive burnout down the street which by its very nature means that he'll lose traction and have more difficulty controlling the car while he does it. He chose to show off and drive with limited traction and control down a street packed with people, the truck driver was presumably doing his best to keep his truck in control as best he could and most likely wasn't aware that the crowd was there until he had already committed to the jump. I wouldn't be surprised if he took the jump, saw the crowd and because they were so close he overreacted and caused the accident.

 

[bruceb]

Just read that about 10 mins ago. Sorry for the spectators. Race officials need to start providing some sort of barriers between the track and the spectators. Granted, it may be nice to be up close, but it comes with inherent dangers.

 

[iGas]

CNN & MSNBC videos

body bags

 

[StageLeft]

I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often.

...should stand behind a tree or something

What sort of idiot stands on the outside of a turn during a rally race?

 

[coxmaster]

What sort of idiot stands on the outside of a turn during a rally race?

IIRC he was an official of some sort, and was told to stand there.

 

[holden j caufield]

I read this spot had signs but the crowd ignored it. Does a 2 ton vehicle going off a jump in a general vicinity really need a sign that says don't spectate here? You don't need to study physics to understand what might happen.

 

[holden j caufield]

IIRC he was an official of some sort, and was told to stand there.

his attire is that of an official, I'm amazed at how strong that tree is. It doesn't even look thick but not one branch broke.

 

[fixxor]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/08/1...s-crowd-road-race-southern-california-desert/

"Officials said the driver wasn't hurt but had to flee the scene to escape angry spectators."

"He said that the driver, who wasn't named, was forced to run from the scene when the crowd grew unruly and some began throwing rocks at him. It was not clear why he lost control of the truck."


WTF...

That is false and confirmed false by CHP. This is an offroad race on public land that spans 30-70 mile loops across the desert. It is not really feasible to barricade the whole track and even if you did, there would be those people not following anyways. I attend these races and even participate in them with my own vehicle and our promoter does a very good job of making sure all safety precautions enforced. Vehicles must have certain safety features (fire extinguishers, rollcage points/gussets, firstaid). It is a known rule that spectators and pit crews must be 125 feet back from course for this very reason of this accident.

I do not attend this certain promoters races but when I saw the video with all those people standing so close to the track it looked like Zoo road down in Mexico. Just crazy and not surprising it happened at all but very much a tragedy. I guess people just believe it "wont happen to me". This is a dangerous sport and people can and will get hurt, you need to use some common sense and realize that standing 5 feet away from a race track with trucks/buggies going 60+ miles per hour with dust in there face might not be the smartest thing to do. The media likes to turn things around as you can see in the OP's post but this is a tragic accident and nothing more. RIP.

 

[moparacer]

Is 100 miles of full fencing and barricades feasible?

No, but having rules and regulations limiting where spectators can watch and having personnel to enforce them is.

 

[waggy]

CNN & MSNBC videos

body bags

yeah that's way to close to be.

 

[waggy]

ugh they just had a interview with a family member who had someone die at the race. They are talking with the DA to have murder charges pressed against the driver..

fucking idiots. the only ones to blame are the fucking idiots that stood 12 ft away from trucks going over jumps at 60mph

 

[Numenorean]

Wow, this is gonna suck. Not only for the families of the dumbasses who were standing right on the track but for the driver who's most likely going to jail unless some sort of mechanical malfunction is found. Sucks for everyone.

Wow...what a fucking dumb comment.

 

[foghorn67]

No, but having rules and regulations limiting where spectators can watch and having personnel to enforce them is.

Are you honestly expecting someone to fund the policing of 100 miles of desert road? Really? Seriously? I hate this nanny state we are getting ourselves into.

 

[lxskllr]

Are you honestly expecting someone to fund the policing of 100 miles of desert road? Really? Seriously? I hate this nanny state we are getting ourselves into.

People need to be responsible for themselves. If they can't see the danger in standing close to a race track, then they deserve whatever happens to them. Personal responsibility. It's what's for breakfast....

 

[rivan]

Well, this might be the end of desert racing in California. It's sad that people couldn't use common sense and stay out of an area that's obviously dangerous.

 

[Spg]

I have been going to Off-Road event for at least the past 10 years as support for my friends that race with SCORE/MDR/SNORE from Mexico to the western US. And you always see people in the dumbest places on the course.

The sad part (besides the loss of people) is that the idiots are going to sue the crap out of everyone and either seriously harm the sport or shut it down in California.

So now the government will think they need to protect us because a handful of people can't figure out that a truck going over a jump might possibly go off the course.

Here is a video of Zoo Road down in Mexico. I might not be the smartest, but these people are dumb.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng7amrtkhyU

 

[geecee]

Not to make light of a sad and serious situation, but anyone catch the driver's name? Doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

California Highway Patrol Officer Joaquin Zubieta said Brett M. Sloppy, 28, of San Marcos, was behind the wheel of the truck involved in the crash.

In the driver's defense, even people who are seated in areas deemed safe enough by race officials are still somewhat at risk, as some of the previous examples show. A flying tire kills a spectator in the link below.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/22/arizona.race.death/index.html

 

[Glitchny]

Damn shitty thing to have happen. I think one of the guys I work with is racing down there currently, not positive though. Can't really blame the driver as accidents happen and the offroad racing guidelines warn people to stay back. Mostly poor judgement on where to stand and how dangerous it can be on the part of the spectators. Of course none of that will stop somebody from suing, which is unfortunate.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

3:10 to 3:20 = Insane.

Someone needs to explain "apex of the turn" to rally spectators.

MotionMan

Someone needs to explain that even if from the drivers point of view everything goes well, if one of those tyres kicks up a fist sized rock a spectator could end up having a very bad day...

 

[HumblePie]

I can't BELIEVE no one has made the comment yet...

That's what you get when you have some Sloppy driving.