Off-road Race Turns Deadly for Eight Spectators

How could this nightmare possibly have happened?  That's the question swirling today after that horrific accident at an off-road race in California.

Eight people died when a driver lost control and plowed into the crowd.  Twelve others were injured.

A video captures the vehicle in question as it hurtles to its date with disaster in the remote Mojave desert.

Spectators realize something has gone horribly wrong and try to warn other drivers.  A few feet away, victims are lying, bloodied and screaming.  The vehicle came to rest with its oversize tires in the air.  Chaos reigns as desperate spectators do what they can to help.

"It just felt like a sea of victims," said Michael Hermajino, who shot a chilling video of the crash.

The driver was unhurt but reportedly needed police protection after angry spectators pelted him with rocks.

The rules listed on the website of the race organizer state:  "Do not spectate within 100 feet of the course."

But as it can be seen from the video taken that day, scores of people were not following that rule.

In a Youtube video at the same event in 2007, one fan comes within a whisker of being hit as he runs in front of a vehicle.

Another Youtube video shows how difficult it is for a driver to see through the dust kicked up by the vehicle in front of him.

And another video, also posted on Youtube, illustrates how easy it is to flip an off-road vehicle like the one that crashed.

Police say the driver in that horrific Mojave desert crash will not face charges.