BajaDixon
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Location: NORTHERN BAJA
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Tragedy at San Quintin offroad race
There was a local 150 race in San Quintin last Sunday in conjunction with the fair. A young local man who had a wife who was 7 months pregnant was
killed as he was filming the race. A race car collided with a spectator's car which careened into the cameraman. I believe the spectator car was
partly responsible since he was crossing the track at the wrong time. Not sure where the race employee who should have been directing traffic was.
The whole race had a surreal feel to it. I can't even remember how many spectator cars we chased off the race track! Several times we had cars coming
head on right at us. I really wish the local fans would be more careful. When you're going 100 mph in the dirt it's awful hard to react to a situation
that comes upon you in a unexpected fashion.
My condolences to the widow and her family and also to the racer.This was a needless tragedy.
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rts551
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That is really too bad. San Quintin is a tough race in that there are a lot of cars crossing the track along the wash with no control.
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willardguy
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I read somewhere today the young man killed was a paramedic. it was on one of the offroad sites, i'll try to find the story. very tragic indeed.
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willardguy
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San Quintín, B. C. - For being in the wrong place at the wrong time, a 21-year old youth died when he was run over by a pick-up in the final lap of an
off-road race last Sunday.
The death occurred around 4:30PM on the riverbed of arroyo Nueva York, west of the town, where the automobile event was held, said the municipal
police.
Information provided by the police indicate that the crash was due to the lack of attention of a driver, who crossed the race course just when a race
car was approaching.
This racer was an American named Perry Joe McNeil, 63-years old, who was with a co-pilot and passenger in a 2001 four-door pick-up on his eigth and
final lap.
Based upon the information available, upon seeing the presence of a Black Suburu, the racer tried to swerve and spun towards the edge of the track,
but hit the vehicle in the rearend.
To finish off, the pick-up hit a third vehicle, a gold 1987 sedan with California plates 4JMM961, whose occupants were bruised and scratched in
several parts of their bodies.
Continuing on, it did another complete spin, running over Ernesto Peralta Indem who was a photographer and a paramedic with the Rescue department in
the area.
According to versions from witnesses present, upon seeing the tragedy he had caused for lack of prudence, the driver that caused the accident and a
companion fled, leaving their vehicle abandoned.
Unofficially, it was reported they were American citizens who inexplicably were not held by the people present who witnessed the event.
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bajadogs
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That just plain sucks. I can't get far enough away from that reckless nonsense.
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dtbushpilot
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This is tragic, my condolences to the family.
It's the same at all the Baja races and only getting worse. I have witnessed the most unbelievable spectator behavior at every race that I attend.
There are a lot of people, especially children hurt at these races that are never reported I hope we never race there again.
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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desertcpl
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Location: yuma,az
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yes its terrible
about 5 years ago I was invited by friends to watch the Baja 500 that came thru San Felipe . they picked a spot south of town, so off we went, so we
left El Dorado ranch and drove south, just the drive was some thing as every Mexican it seems was driving like mad men going to see the race.
after we all got to our spot, out goes the lawn chairs and proceed to get as close to the race course as possible, well after the first race car came
thru, I looked at my wife and said what the hell are we doing, the race cars are going so fast and the race course at this spot was really bad, the
cars had little or no control, just going as fast as they can, we packed up and moved our selfs away from the course to a safe distance,,
it was 5 minutes later one of the cars loss control and piled into the crowd and ran over 2 brothers, they where later flown to El Centro
and I also noticed like the above, cars and trucks from the spectators driving across the race course with little notice about what was going on
around them,
that was the first and last time for me
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woody with a view
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too bad! it was a disaster waiting to happen. kinda like when spectators stand on the outside of a turn as the vehicles come roaring past.....
DEP!
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Ken Cooke
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Accident Scene photos
link: http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showthread.php/106215-Perry...
My condolences to the families of those affected.
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rts551
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We were in this race last year and that crossover (up and out of the riverbed) is loaded with people (watching the jump) and blind for the racers.
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thebajarunner
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Total Bummer!!
Early on we participated in a few of these "outlaw" events as I call them,
but the lack of course control, the craziness of the onlookers (mostly locals, kids trying to prove their "macho")
It just was not worth it.
I saw too many collisions with spectator cars, intentional course blockage, etc.
There was tragedy in SCORE events as well, but at least I felt some measure of control.
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vgabndo
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Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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The appeal of this sort of thing might be attributed to YOLO in the 21st. century, but it was common in Europe 20 years ago as in this amazing clip,
and still hasn't changed in Rally Car Racing.
Baja either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1UTkhqp3fs
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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