The Chihuahua monster truck accident occurred on 5 October 2013 in

Chihuahua City The city of Chihuahua ''(La Ciudad de Chihuahua)'' () is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. , the city of Chihuahua had a population of 925,762 inhabitants. while the metropolitan area had a population of 988,065 inhabitants. A ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

when a

monster truck A monster truck is a specialized off-road vehicle with a heavy duty suspension, four-wheel steering, large-displacement V8 engines and oversized tires constructed for competition and entertainment uses. Originally created by modifying stock pic ...

crashed into spectators at an air show. Eight people were reported killed, including children, and 79 were injured. Officials and event organizers were blamed for the disaster. To date, it is the deadliest monster truck incident to have occurred.

Accident

The Extreme Aeroshow was being held at the El Rejon dam, on the outskirts of

. Carlos Gonzalez, spokesman for the Chihuahua state prosecutors' office, said that the driver "appeared to lose control of the truck after leaping over cars it was crushing during a demonstration". It was reported that the outdoor arena lacked any visible barriers. The driver was detained and said in a statement that he hit his head on something inside the cabin and lost consciousness.

Investigation

Governor of Chihuahua According to the Political Constitution of the Free and Sovereign State of Chihuahua, Executive Power in that Mexican state resides with a single individual, the Constitutional Governor of the Free and Sovereign State of Chihuahua, who is chosen ...

César Duarte Jáquez César Horacio Duarte Jáquez (born April 14, 1963) is a Mexican politician, a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, who has twice been a federal deputy. He was President of the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico from 2008 to 2009, while ...

said his administration was investigating whether the Civil Protection authorities had correctly enforced safety regulations. Governor Jáquez announced 3 days of mourning. Francisco Velázquez Samaniego, the driver of the monster truck, was convicted of reckless homicide and inflicting injury and damage. He was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay MXN$26million in restitution.{{cite news , title=Herida aún sigue abierta, hoy 5 años del accidente del Aero Show , url=https://www.elheraldodechihuahua.com.mx/local/herida-aun-sigue-abierta-hoy-5-anos-del-accidente-del-aero-show-2048434.html , access-date=2021-04-04 , work=El Heraldo de Chihuahua , date=2018-10-05 , language=es Velázquez maintained that he was unconscious at the time of the accident, and that he had warned organizers that the spectators were too close. He was the only person convicted in relation to the accident.

References

History of Chihuahua (state) 2013 disasters in North America 2013 in Mexico October 2013 events in Mexico Road incidents in Mexico