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Held in Lucerne Valley, CA, the Cal 200 is a 200 mile desert race sanctioned by Mojave Desert Racing. This event attracts hundreds of spectators to watch dune-buggy styled off road vehicles race the 50 mile loop. On Saturday, August 14, 2010, one of the drivers lost control of his 2000 Ford Ranger which became airborne before it landed on top of spectators who were standing only a few feet from the dirt track. The accident killed 8 spectators and injured 10 others. The 28 year old driver was not injured in the crash.

When the driver lost control, he was on a portion of the track called “rock pile.” This portion of the track, which snakes between giant boulders and up a small hill, sends many of the off-road vehicles airborne. In 2008, plastic fences were put up near the site of the crash. This year, no such fences or barriers were in place.

The Bureau of Land Management owns the land where the race was held. The Bureau is currently conducting an investigation to determine whether Mojave Desert Racing breached any of the terms of the safety contract. The safety contract requires fans to say at least 100 feet away from the course and at least 50 feet from racing vehicles.

During the race, off-road vehicles travel at speeds of 40-60 miles per hour. Taking into consideration the speed of the vehicles and the informal setting of the race, standing only a few feet from the track without any protective barrier is an unwise decision that has proven to be deadly.

Without any barriers or fences to prevent crowds from getting too close to the track, people are unable to hold back their desire to be as close to the action as possible. President of Snore Racing in Las Vegas stated that he puts up fences, do-not-enter signs and directs the crowd towards straight-aways where crashes are unlikely to occur. However, it is inevitable that some spectators will find a way to get around the barriers and closer to the action.

Even though many of these dune-buggy type racing events are held in remote desert locations, promoters of the event should take all safety precautions that are reasonably necessary to ensure that spectators are protected in the event of an accident. Furthermore, the placement of do-not-enter signs on fences informs the spectator that entering a particular area can put him or her at risk of death or serious bodily injury in the event of a crash.

Hopefully, this tragic event will result in the addition of new safety measures and the enforcement of existing ones. When a person participates in an extreme sport like desert racing, he or she assumes the risk of enduring serious bodily injury. Spectators to these events should not have to assume such a risk.

At The Roberts Law Firm located in Orange County, our personal injury attorneys are experienced in dealing with personal injuries caused by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to the negligence or wrongdoing of another, you should contact our Orange County personal injury attorney Jeff Roberts.