Mexican monster truck wreck kills eight, hurts dozens

CHIHUAHUA, Mexico – An out-of-control monster truck shot into a crowd of spectators at a Mexican air show, killing eight people and hurting 79, officials said. The driver was detained Sunday on suspicion of manslaughter and officials said they were investigating possible safety violations in the setup of the show.

Carlos Gonzalez, spokesman for the Chihuahua state prosecutors’ office, said driver Francisco Velazquez appeared to lose control of the truck after leaping over cars it was crushing during a demonstration at the “Extreme Aeroshow” on Saturday.

Video taken from the stands by spectator Krizthall Martinez and provided to the Associated Press shows the truck making an initial pass over two cars. It then makes a second pass at higher speed, coming down sharply nose first and bouncing violently before piling straight into the crowd, which stood directly in the path of the monster truck unprotected by any wall or barrier.

The three-day show, which included performances by airplanes, the monster truck acts and other events, was canceled after the accident on its second day in a park on the outskirts of Chihuahua, the capital of Chihuahua state.

Chihuahua Gov. Cesar Duarte Juarez said his administration, which was listed as a sponsor of the air show, was investigating whether Civil Protection authorities had correctly enforced safety regulations.