The crash that happened at the Johnson Valley OHV recreation area during the California 200 back in 2010 was a tragic one. Eight people lost their lives, 12 others were injured, and the incident threatened to change the off-road scene forever.
Three years have passed since that tragic incident, but according to The Press-Enterprise, a settlement of $5.8 million is finally moving forward for those injured, and family members of those killed, during the event.
An attorney in the case between 34 plaintiffs and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as well as California 200 race promoters and organizers, announced Wednesday, December 18, that a tentative settlement of $5.825 million was reached for the 12 individuals that were injured and the eight individuals that died in the 2010 accident. With this agreed-upon number, the case now moves to the U.S. Department of Justice for review and acceptance of the settlement amount.
The crash, that happened within the first two miles of the California 200 course on August 14, 2010, involved a modified pickup truck. It flipped into a group of spectators lining the course around a jump called “The Rock Pile” after it hit a sandy berm and lost control, landing on its roof in the crowd. Six people were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others died later at the hospital where 12 others were sent with injuries related to the crash. Most of those injured or killed were in their 20s and 30s.
The driver was unharmed and walked away from the crash.
It is the opinion of survivors of the accident and families of the deceased that spectators should not have been allowed to be as close to the course as they were, held back only by their own decisions rather than a proper safety line or designated area. Plaintiffs claimed that Mohave Desert Racing, the organization that ran and promoted the event, didn’t follow established safety practices and negligently managed the event.
One example that was used in the case was the fact that no emergency personnel were near the site and it took nearly a half-hour for emergency responders to reach the accident. It was also argued that the BLM did not have enough staff on hand to oversee the event.
External Affairs Director for the BLM California Desert District, Razo, told The Press-Enterprise that an internal investigation was launched the day after the accident and it was found that the BLM’s policies were sound, but had not been adhered to at the California 200 that year. But since the incident, the BLM has made some adjustments, including putting a consistent operations plan into effect for all special recreation permit events, limiting areas where spectators can watch the events and designating specified camping areas rather than allowing spectators to camp anywhere along event courses.
If approved, the settlement will be broken down in two chunks. One million of it will be paid by Mohave Desert Racing and the remaining $4.825 million will be paid by the BLM. An answer on how the money will be dispersed is expected in early spring.
For ABC news coverage of the accident, see the video below.
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