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ENSENADA, Mexico — Todd Pedersen, CEO of Utah County-based home security company Vivint, was involved in a crash that killed an 8-year-old boy on the track of a desert race in Mexico on Saturday, according to race officials.
Pedersen was driving an off-road truck in the 48th annual SCORE Baja 500 near Ensenada when within a half-mile of the starting point, the truck failed to negotiate a turn and went off the road, according to a statement from SCORE.
Crowds of spectators lined the race track, and three people were struck, including an 8-year-old boy, despite the driver's efforts to avoid the spectators, according to the statement. The boy was transported to an Ensenada hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The boy's mother was hospitalized with head and leg injuries but was reported in stable condition Sunday, race officials said.
Information on the third victim was not available Sunday. Race officials declined to release the names of the victims.
In a prepared statement, Pedersen expressed sympathy for those injured in the crash.
"I'm devastated by the tragic accident that happened this weekend. My heart goes out to the family at this time," Pedersen said.
Multiple videos were uploaded to YouTube on Saturday showing trophy truck No. 75 sliding sideways off a curve on the dirt track and down an embankment with people near the bottom. Race entry records list the vehicle with Pedersen, who race officials said was driving at the time, and Mike Cook, also a Utah County resident.
Race officials declined to say whether the crowd was inside or outside the designated spectator area, but Ensenada Municipal Police were still investigating the incident Sunday. The crash delayed the closing time of the race by an hour and 10 minutes.
Police were also investigating two other fatalities from separate incidents, including a rider from California who crashed and went into cardiac arrest. A rider from Alaska was also found dead near his motorcycle on the route of the race, according to SCORE officials.
The SCORE Baja 500 is nearly 478 miles long with competitors from several countries driving cars, trucks and other off-road vehicles.
Those who have raced the Baja 500 say it is difficult for drivers to see what is immediately in front of them from inside a trophy truck, due to the size and configuration of the specially modified vehicles. Large crowds of spectators also routinely crowd the course, adding another layer of danger to the race, a veteran Baja 500 racer told KSL-TV on Sunday.
Lorena Blanco, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, said the State Department is working to assist all of the American citizens involved in Saturday's crash. She said she could not provide more specific information about that assistance or the crash, citing federal privacy laws.
Contributing: Geoff Liesik
