At least eight people were killed and dozens others seriously wounded when a driver racing in California 200 desert race in Lucerne Valley lost control of his off-roader, said authorities adding, the driver went airborne and rammed on the spectators.
"He got airborne and, when he landed, rolled over straight into the spectators,'' said Officer Joaquin Zubieta of the California Highway Patrol, the agency investigating the deadly crash. "People didn't have much of a chance ... to get out of the way.''
As many six spectators lost their lives at the scene. Nine others were taken to local hospitals through helicopter. Two of them died later in the evening, added Zubieta. “No charges have been filed against the off-road racer, whose identity has not been released by authorities. The driver had to be escorted away from the area after the crowd "started to get rowdy," Zubieta said. "People were upset." According to officials, the average of people killed in the fateful incident ranged from early 20s to early 40s. The names of the killed haven’t been disclosed due to pending positive identification and notification of family.
Earlier, Mojave Desert Racing approved the 200-mile race, held on desolate Soggy Dry Lake on federal desert land just east of the San Bernardino Mountains. It was part of a seven-race circuit. Off-roaders race around the 50-mile-long loop four times, reaching speeds upward of 60 mph. According to eyewitnesses, the white truck that struck the spectators remained at the scene, upside down, into wee hours. Later, CHP investigators approached vehicle to search for any mechanical defects and attempted to recreate the accident.
