BajaNomad

Baja 1000 bystander deaths

wilderone - 11-16-2024 at 09:42 AM

An excerpt:

6:46 PM PST November 15, 2024

ENSENADA, Baja California — Two people are confirmed dead and several injured at the Baja 1,000 off-road race Thursday in Mexico. A chaotic scene erupted in Ensenada as an orange trophy truck ran over four bystanders.

It happened in the mechanical inspection area as the driver of the truck began hot-rodding allegedly by revving the engine before losing control. All of the victims were taken to Velmar Hospital nearby. Hours later, two of the men, identified as Fred Goff James and Esteban Velázquez, died from their injuries....

David K - 11-16-2024 at 10:38 AM

There is a video of it from behind the truck as it rev'ed ahead and drove into some people who were standing in front of the moving truck, in line at inspection (between it and the race truck ahead of him).

Edit: A Nomad posted the video link in a new post: https://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=100822


[Edited on 11-16-2024 by David K]

wilderone - 11-16-2024 at 11:49 AM

Serious consequence for many:
“The incident was due to the imprudence of a member of a competing team, which is why the vehicle was confiscated and the person responsible was arrested," said Juan Tintos with SCORE International. "We are working to ensure that the injured receive all the necessary medical attention.”
Tintos told reporters Thursday that SCORE International, the organization that hosts the race, is facing penalties from both local and state authorities. “SCORE is going to be sanctioned...."

stillnbaja - 11-16-2024 at 12:54 PM

on a lighter note Ben Hunter (279x) with type 1 diabetes's mom would only let him race if he live streamed so he taped a star link mini- antenna to his helmet, worked great! congratulations Ben!




[Edited on 11-17-2024 by BajaNomad]

AKgringo - 11-16-2024 at 01:42 PM

Imagine what his neck must feel like with the added weight and drag on his helmet for over eight hundred miles! :wow:

Accident at the Baja 1000

Biznaga - 11-16-2024 at 01:48 PM

A very sad and tragic accident after a truck runs over bystanders at the Baja 1000;

https://youtu.be/qeVtBamxXBw?si=rH80N6AjJSZWt6Ig

mtgoat666 - 11-16-2024 at 02:31 PM

Very sad deaths. And totally preventable. The driver was going walking speed in a crowd, revved his engine to "show off" (not sure who is impressed by this), and the car was in gear and shot forward into the people and cars ahead of him.
Makes no sense why the promoter had set up a parade of cars through spectators without fencing and k-rails to protect spectators.
So many spectators have been killed at race events. The deaths will continue until the promoters are held responsible. If they cant run safe races, maybe they should cancel the races or change it to closed coarses.

David K - 11-16-2024 at 04:18 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Very sad deaths. And totally preventable. The driver was going walking speed in a crowd, revved his engine to "show off" (not sure who is impressed by this), and the car was in gear and shot forward into the people and cars ahead of him.
Makes no sense why the promoter had set up a parade of cars through spectators without fencing and k-rails to protect spectators.
So many spectators have been killed at race events. The deaths will continue until the promoters are held responsible. If they cant run safe races, maybe they should cancel the races or change it to closed coarses.


Do you wonder why or assign any blame to spectators who are in font of moving cars, on a city street, set aside for the racers???

mtgoat666 - 11-16-2024 at 04:37 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Very sad deaths. And totally preventable. The driver was going walking speed in a crowd, revved his engine to "show off" (not sure who is impressed by this), and the car was in gear and shot forward into the people and cars ahead of him.
Makes no sense why the promoter had set up a parade of cars through spectators without fencing and k-rails to protect spectators.
So many spectators have been killed at race events. The deaths will continue until the promoters are held responsible. If they cant run safe races, maybe they should cancel the races or change it to closed coarses.


Do you wonder why or assign any blame to spectators who are in font of moving cars, on a city street, set aside for the racers???


Blame the victims? Did you see the video of the guy accelerating into the crowd?
The promoter is in charge of the venue. The promoter layed out the contingency for spectator access. If the race can afford multiple helicopters, the race can afford planning, security and rental fence/barriers for safety of spectators.

BajaNomad - 11-16-2024 at 05:56 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  

Makes no sense why the promoter had set up a parade of cars through spectators without fencing and k-rails to protect spectators.


This was not during the race or race conditions.

It appears to be the tech inspection line (lined by event/contingency sponsor booths) the day before the race start, which traditionally takes place early the next morning. This tech/contingency line appears to still move at a very slow walking pace. Many/most vehicles are pushed by hand down the line. Some idle the vehicle along it, and this is often/usually done by one of the crew members behind the wheel - not the race driver(s), etc.

Horrible and tragic decisions made by the person at the wheel/controls (probably a crew member, and NOT one of the race drivers), and perhaps by whomever on the team decided that person was responsible enough to handle that task, etc.

fwiw

BajaNomad - 11-16-2024 at 06:08 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  

Makes no sense why the promoter had set up a parade of cars through spectators without fencing and k-rails to protect spectators.


I've seen no report (yet, anyway) that the "bystanders" hit by the truck were non-affiliated spectators. So far it seems like they were other crew members, drivers, etc immediately ahead of this vehicle in the tech/contingency line.

Did I miss something? Thank you.




[Edited on 11-17-2024 by BajaNomad]

BajaNomad - 11-16-2024 at 07:54 PM

Confirmed that the driver was an inexperienced crew member, etc.

"instead of braking, I accelerated"

https://agpnoticias.com/news/?p=2978428

https://agpnoticias-com.translate.goog/news/?p=2978428&_...


460971.SmartSelect_20241114_191226_Gallery.jpg - 79kB



[Edited on 11-17-2024 by BajaNomad]

surabi - 11-16-2024 at 10:23 PM

"Inexperienced crew member" is irrelevant. Someone let an idiot show-off drive through a crowd of people.

BajaNomad - 11-16-2024 at 11:05 PM

Quote: Originally posted by surabi  
"Inexperienced crew member" is irrelevant. Someone let an idiot show-off drive through a crowd of people.


So, in other words.... it is relevant then?

mtgoat666 - 11-16-2024 at 11:10 PM

Quote: Originally posted by surabi  
"Inexperienced crew member" is irrelevant. Someone let an idiot show-off drive through a crowd of people.


The pics indicate the driver was in his 20s. That means an experienced driver, if they started driving at 16.
From the video, I think the driver was horsing around, trying to rev the engine for his buddy’s amusement.
The revving, acceleration went on for quite a while. The drivers reaction speed could have been slowed by drugs.

surabi - 11-16-2024 at 11:40 PM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaNomad  
Quote: Originally posted by surabi  
"Inexperienced crew member" is irrelevant. Someone let an idiot show-off drive through a crowd of people.


So, in other words.... it is relevant then?


Not to the victims and their families and friends.

[Edited on 11-17-2024 by surabi]

David K - 11-17-2024 at 10:31 AM

Thank you, Doug. Representing TRICK Racing Fuel at the contingency inspection at past Baja races gives you the insight on how that is done.

I have been to Ensenada the day before the race at contingency several times (1973-2006). It is a way to see the race cars up close and even chat with racers. I was fortunate to chat with the likes of Parnelli Jones, Roger Mears, Walker Evans, etc.

This terrible accident should have never happened. Stay away from the front of moving cars!

You cannot fix stupid!!

thebajarunner - 11-17-2024 at 10:51 AM

Could have happened in Hussongs parking lot and not gotten all this flap.

Hopefully he can learn a second language while he sits in the carcel for the next dozen years.

surfhat - 11-17-2024 at 11:19 AM

What about the machismo factor?

As a fan of watching these off-road races for decades, and early on my first Baja travels in '73 I had the privilege to be camped on the bluff at Quatro Casas while the Baja 1000 blasted by a short distance away, the danger some spectators choose to expose themselves to has always mystified me.

Why would anyone put themselves in the danger zone when we all see how unreliable any driver can be at times on a road that throws every vehicle around unpredictably for the most part. These drivers are a breed apart and deserve respect, for the most part.

This may be an exception with such an inexperienced driver at the wheel.

Machismo strikes again.

Spectators choose to put themselves in the danger zone. May such an occurrence never be allowed to happen again.

I have to believe the drivers will, in some perceptible way, never get over it. Some lessons in our lives have to be learned the hard way.

The race organizers now have to step up like never before. My hopes for any future races will be that the organizers will clearly define the boundaries where spectators can spectate safely. Is that too much to expect?

May we all appreciate this season of givings thanks. Peace, love and fish tacos and so much more to all lovers of Baja.

BeachSeeker - 11-17-2024 at 12:55 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  

The pics indicate the driver was in his 20s. That means an experienced driver, if they started driving at 16.
From the video, I think the driver was horsing around, trying to rev the engine for his buddy’s amusement.
The revving, acceleration went on for quite a while. The drivers reaction speed could have been slowed by drugs.


Goat, I can't tell if you just enjoy trolling, or if you are really this ridiculous.

Drugs? Come on. Why even say something like that? Get it together.

The revving went on for awhile? It was literally less than 3 seconds. It sounded like 2 quick raps on the throttle and then a 1-2 second acceleration. Seems like he meant to rap it twice, went for the brake, which takes way more leg force than an F150, panicked, and just started mashing down there. This aligns exactly with the guys quote “I did accelerate, but the weight of the vehicle got the better of me. I was nervous and, instead of braking, I accelerated again."

Yes, the guy behind the wheel was inexperienced in a trophy truck. He was not one of the race drivers. He was a crew member.

These weren't spectators, they were members of another race team.

What the guy did was stupid, it was 100% his fault. However, I just cannot fathom standing between two cars unless I'm in a parking lot and no one is behind the wheel. Maybe I just have a heightened sense of self preservation. Not trying to blame the victim here, but we can all learn to just not put ourselves in those situations. Pinch points are a thing that a lot of people know to avoid. Watching the live finish line stream, I couldn't believe how many cameramen were standing between two running race vehicles, with tired drivers and worn out brakes.

wilderone - 11-19-2024 at 09:52 AM

Incidental fact: NOT "Fred Goff James".
"James “Jim” Goff, the down-home restaurateur whose namesake diner has been a staple in Pleasanton for three decades, was one of two bystanders killed by a vehicle during the famed Baja 1000 off-road racing event in Mexico last week."
[And]
Baja Mil runner Cesar Rocha dies
Authorities of International Score announced that the death of Cesar Rocha, participant of the Baja Mil, occurred after a car accident at kilometer 182 federal road number 5 from San Felipe to Laguna Chapala in the area of Las Arrastras. Two people were traveling in the vehicle, including the runner who died while being taken to a hospital. They asserted his death did not occur within the race route.
César Rocha, a rider and team member on the #119A Sportsman Quad, was involved in an accident on the highway. Being taken to a clinic in San Felipe; died of injuries sustained in the accident. He was 23 years old.


[Edited on 11-19-2024 by wilderone]

PaulW - 11-21-2024 at 09:02 AM

The report I read on FB in English was detailed.
Cesar Rocha was riding in the right seat of a pickup at a location on Hwy 5 north of new Cocos. The pickup drifted off to the right and hit the guardrail which penetrated the car on the passenger side and killed Rocha.
No mention as to why Rocha was not racing his quad.