Deaths of spectator, two competitors mar Baja 500

This year's Baja 500 off-road road was struck by tragedy as three fatalities occurred during the 48th running of the off-road enduro on Mexico's Baja pensinsula, including an 8-year-old spectator.

Organizer SCORE released the following statement on the fatalities:

The closing time on the race course was delayed by one hour, 10 minutes as SCORE and local officials worked on the aftermath of an accident early during the start of the cars, trucks and UTVs involving a race truck within a half mile of the start. Racer Todd Pedersen, Orem, Utah, while negotiating a turn entering the Ensenada wash and attempting to avoid some fans, eventually hit three spectators. An eight-year old boy was fatally injured in the accident, according to police on the scene. He was transported to an Ensenada hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The boy’s mother was hospitalized and is reported in stable condition at a hospital in Ensenada with head and leg injuries. The identities of the two victims were not released.

In the first racer fatality, Pro Moto Unlimited rider Travis Livingston, 34, of Palmdale, Calif., crashed at race mile 288.9. When SCORE medical personnel arrived, while attempting to stabilize him, Livingston went into cardiac arrest and could not be revived.

In the second racer fatality, Sportsman Moto rider Noah Evermann, 34, of Alaska, was found dead near his motorcycle at race mile 180.9 by another race team.

No further information was released regarding all three accidents as all three are still being investigated by Ensenada Municipal Police.

The race was won overall by Mexico’s Gus “Tavo” Vildosola Jr., driving a Ford Raptor Trophy Truck (pictured above, image courtesy of SCORE).

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