Monster Truck Hits Crowd, Raises Spectator Safety Questions

A monster truck that hit a crowd at a Mexican air show has raised questions of spectator safety and what, if anything, can be done to protect people during such large-scale performances.

The truck was going through a series of maneuvers on a dirt track at the “Extreme Aeroshow” in Chihuahua when it lost control, veering into a grandstand filled with spectators. At least eight people were killed and 80 hurt, many of them seriously, officials said.

“I fell over, and when I turned around I saw the tire very close. It hit me and threw me to the other side,” said witness Jesus Manuel Ibarra, who suffered injuries to his arm and hip.

The incident has raised safety questions, with some fingers pointed toward the show’s organizers. There were no barriers to keep trucks from reaching spectators at the air show and other safety measures appeared to be ignored.

The day after the monster truck hit the crowd, air show officials decided to call off the final day of the event.

Safety issues have arisen at monster truck events in the past. In 2009, a 6-year-old boy was killed at a show in Tacoma, Washington, when debris flew into the crowd. Later that same year a truck promoter died after stepping in front of a truck at an event.

Industry experts said they have taken measures to prevent accidents.

‘We’re inspecting every single truck before it comes on the performance space,” Stephen Payne, a Feld Motor Sports spokesman told the Tampa Bay Times. “And at each and every venue that we play at, we make sure the safety buffers that we put in place are appropriate for that venue.”

But deadly incidents still remain, and the monster truck that hits the crowd in Mexico appears to be part of a deadly trend. Air shows have seen a number of accidents in recent years, including a 2011 airplane crash in Reno last year that left 11 people dead.