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Race Car Breaks Through Guardrail, Plows Into Crowd in Deadly Incident

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One spectator was killed and dozens were injured Sunday when a vehicle crashed through a guardrail and plowed into a crowd at a mud racing event in Texas.

The crash happened at about 6:30 p.m. Sunday at a racetrack in Fabens, Texas, about 40 miles southeast of El Paso and less than a mile from the Mexican border, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department reported.

Eight people were rushed to the hospital, including three in critical condition, the sheriff’s department said in a statement.

One of those, a 21-year-old man, later died, according to a report posted to Twitter by a reporter for KTSM-TV in El Paso.

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The man was identified as Willie Valadez Ramirez, KFOX-TV reported.

Two others remained in critical condition, according to KFOX.

Five more sustained non-life-threatening injuries, the station reported.

“Today what happened was what we all hoped doesn’t happen … a wreck while racing,” said Scott Smith, owner of Rock Solid Protection, an El Paso-based security firm.

Smith, speaking at a news conference, said that “the mud can tell the car where to go, at times” and that is what he said happened in this crash.

Karla Huerta, who was watching the race when it turned tragic, described the scene as “pretty ugly.”

“Well, they started the race. And when they started, one of the trucks lost control and slammed into a pile of cars and people,” Huerta said.

Three other vehicles were also struck as a result of the initial crash, the sheriff’s departmen’ts statement said.

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It was not immediately known what caused the vehicle to leave the track.

Below is a report from KVIA-TV Sunday, before the fatality was announced.



Authorities said an investigation remains ongoing.

The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.

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