Posted on 08/14/2010 11:08:33 PM PDT by george76
At least eight people were killed and others were injured in a desert off-road race in rural San Bernardino County.
San Bernardino County fire sent seven ambulances and 10 air ships to the scene of the accident at the California 200 race in Lucerne Valley.
(Excerpt) Read more at abclocal.go.com ...
Just heard this on the news here. So sad, no guard rails block the people from the cars. My prayers go out to the victims
I got my ABC Alert regarding this at 9:50 pm pdt.
Sounds like a bad one. My sympathy goes out to those who lost their life and the people who were injured, their familiy and friends.
At least six people were killed and nine injured when a car involved in the California 200 off-road competition drove into a crowd of spectators Saturday night, the Los Angeles Times reported.
NBC News put the death toll at eight with 10 injured, citing initial reports.
The accident happened at about 7:40 p.m. PT in the Lucerne Valley, a desert area east of Victorville, about a 2-hour drive northeast of Los Angeles, NBC News said.
The San Bernardino County fire department and emergency personnel were attending the incident.
Fire dispatch supervisor Tim Franke told the Times that the accident was reported at 7:48 p.m. at Soggy Dry Lake Bed, a popular off-road spot.
Franke told the paper that four people were seriously injured and were taken by air ambulance to nearby trauma centers. Five others received minor injuries, he said. He added that it was not known whether the driver was killed or injured.
Officials confirmed that eight people died and 12 were injured in the Lucerne Valley area Saturday when the driver of an off-road vehicle plowed into a crowd.
Authorities believe the driver lost control of the vehicle during some type of race at a dry lake bed.
Fire dispatch supervisor Tim Franke said the accident was reported at 7:48 p.m. at Soggy Dry Lake Bed, a popular off-road spot. “It’s unknown what kind of event was going on out there,” he said.
Franke said at least four people were seriously injured and were taken by air ambulance to nearby trauma centers.
He said it was not yet clear how the accident occurred or whether the driver was among the injured or dead.
Maybe its just me, but with one exception the headlines at that ABC link are all about violence, death and destruction. Makes me want to stop the world and get off:
* 8 killed, others injured in SB racing accident
* Rave shooting leaves 1 dead, 3 injured
* AVP cancels rest of beach volleyball season
* Cholera strikes amid Pakistani flood disaster
* Wildfire burning near Camp Pendleton
* Car-to-car shooting shuts down 10 freeway
* Pomona teen fatally shot; 3 suspects arrested
* DNA leads to arrest in 1986 murder cold case
* Caretaker wanted for stealing from 74-yr-old
* Brother speaks out on deaf theft incident
* Buffalo, N.Y. shooting kills 4, injures 4
It’s amazing this doesn’t happen more often with the crowd so close.
Prayers for the grieving families.
Guard rails?
This is in the middle of the desert, where much of the course is very rugged...Dirt roads, paths, rocks, hills etc....There are some great, wild and yes, dangerous races out there.
* 8 killed, others injured in SB racing accident
* Rave shooting leaves 1 dead, 3 injured
* AVP cancels rest of beach volleyball season
* Cholera strikes amid Pakistani flood disaster
* Wildfire burning near Camp Pendleton
* Car-to-car shooting shuts down 10 freeway
* Pomona teen fatally shot; 3 suspects arrested
* DNA leads to arrest in 1986 murder cold case
* Caretaker wanted for stealing from 74-yr-old
* Brother speaks out on deaf theft incident
* Buffalo, N.Y. shooting kills 4, injures 4
"One of these things is not like the others, one of these things is not like the others..."
But a disaster in its own small way...
“It’s amazing this doesn’t happen more often with the crowd so close.”
That’s what I’ve always thought when viewing these things. Never mind the notorious 1955 Mercedes-Benz accident in which 83 were killed...it’s not necessary for the whole car to drive into the crowd. In a serious crack-up, heavy parts can easily become detached and airborne and really mangle people who have the misfortune of being in the way. In the 1955 MBZ accident, the loose flying hood from the car decapitated several people.
Here’s a great compilation of LOTS of GREAT rallye driving (on and off road), interior and exterior views, some crashes, and great fitting music. (”Workin’ them Angels”, by RUSH).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFeVzv6qUfw
*
The BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10978569
Spectators killed at US car race
Most likely now the state will pass a law outlawing any type of off road raceing. You know we have to protect every body from every thing.
“air ships”?
Nah. They'll just ban more oil drilling so there will be less gas for this kind of thing.
I think they mean heliochoppers.
My boyfriend was at this event last night. He called me and seemed very shaken. Apparently he was only 100 feet away from the people who got killed.
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