Baja 1000 start
Baja 1000 Hot News

Baja 1000: Two men dead at Baja 1000 off-road race in Mexico

Posted by AR1 staff

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.

“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. We have already been informed by the municipal authorities and well, you have also seen how we are always looking at different ways to apply the best possible security measures and this is something that we regret and that we are going to analyze,” said Tintos.

On a photo taken of the orange Buehler Motorsports truck before it was impounded by authorities, the words, “Kansas City, Missouri” can be seen painted on the driver side. The person who was driving the truck remains in police custody. CBS8.com