How bizarre is this story?
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/15/america/LA-GEN-Mexico-Road-Race-Deaths.php
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/15/america/LA-GEN-Mexico-Road-Race-Deaths.php
Baja 1000 Chopper Down
- Thread starter gon2srf
- Start date
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WTF?
Wow, that is F**king weird. For what it's worth, I would love nothing more than for the story to be true. I'd much rather have a few filthy ass drug dealers who probably deserved to die bite the dust than Baja friends doing race coverage.
Scott how did you come across this story and is the "international herald" reputable as a news source? -S-
Scott how did you come across this story and is the "international herald" reputable as a news source? -S-
Slomo
It's Complicated
Pretty wierd. The helicopter in question was supposedly chasing for Buggy #133 who started 3 spots behind us. They were a late entry and were not listed with a driver of record. We chased the first 150 miles of the race for our team which co-incided with the time the helicopter was flying chase until they crashed. It flew over us numerous times but the most interesting was at RM 40 where we were doing a visual on our car and logging times and cars in our class to check our standing. While standing alongside the course car 133 came through just before us and the helicopter flew directly over our heads at about 40 -50 feet off the deck. 
I am not exaterating, it freaked us out he was so low. I told my buddy that guy had alot of sack and not alot of brains flying that low. We clicked off two pictures of it before it flew out of sight. An hour or so later word came it hit some power lines and wadded up so bad that witnesses could not read the tail number to try and identify the victims. This is too wierd.
Couldn't agree more Sam, I am hoping it is drug dealers instead of some of our racing bretheren. Will be interesting to see how this one turns out.
I am not exaterating, it freaked us out he was so low. I told my buddy that guy had alot of sack and not alot of brains flying that low. We clicked off two pictures of it before it flew out of sight. An hour or so later word came it hit some power lines and wadded up so bad that witnesses could not read the tail number to try and identify the victims. This is too wierd. Couldn't agree more Sam, I am hoping it is drug dealers instead of some of our racing bretheren. Will be interesting to see how this one turns out.
- Thread starter
- #6
Just doing some searching. I have no idea if the paper or story are reputable. Check this out.
http://www.nowpublic.com/sports/helicopter-crash-baja
Baja Racing News
Some pictures and video. You can see how low over the deck he was flying.
Second story down.
http://bajasafari.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b4xorxtsok
Some pictures and video. You can see how low over the deck he was flying.
Second story down.
http://bajasafari.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b4xorxtsok
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #8
Wow. It looks like the drug dealer was just out as a spectator. Hope that pilot has around the clock protection.
You may be surpised at how many past/present racers are or were in the business..
LukeZero
Deeply Confused
International Herald Tribune
World class newspaper. On par with NY Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, The Guardian, Times of London, etc.
Slomo
It's Complicated
It does take alot more money than most people have so that would make sense.
That video pretty much summed up the way he flew until he wadded it up. He was a crash waiting to happen. I wonder if he is under police protection at the hospital?
from http://bajasafari.blogspot.com/
Dozens of federal and state police officers Friday guarded the morgue and the hospital where the two helicopter pilots were being treated.
Slomo
It's Complicated
Thanks, hadn't seen the update.
I wonder who was behind the extremely low level flying, the pilot trying to show off and impress the kingpin or perhaps he was ordered fly so aggressively. Definitely one strange chain of events.
Not so strange for baja..... I have been fishing many a times down there and seen /heard some pretty weird stuff...... It is a shame that such a beautiful place has so many crazy drug smugglers running thru.
That's funny.
The pilots were both dead
The pilots were both known cartel members, the team was known to be funded by cartel $$.
The only Mexican pilots flying during the race and the only pilots to miss the safety briefing (he missed it every year).
Heavily armed cartel members in a blacked out Suburban raided the morgue and stole the bodies. A machine gun fight and chase ensued. Two police officers killed, two more cartel members killed. The pilots bodies were not recovered.
- Thread starter
- #16
That's funny.
The pilots were both dead
The pilots were both known cartel members, the team was known to be funded by cartel $$.
The only Mexican pilots flying during the race and the only pilots to miss the safety briefing (he missed it every year).
Heavily armed cartel members in a blacked out Suburban raided the morgue and stole the bodies. A machine gun fight and chase ensued. Two police officers killed, two more cartel members killed. The pilots bodies were not recovered.
Boyd-
How much liquor did you ingest before you wrote this post.
We passed that crash site during the race right before we headed to Mikes Sky Ranch, all sorts of crazyiness going on!
Boyd-
How much liquor did you ingest before you wrote this post.
True story, the passenger was one of the higher-ups in the Cartel and they did not want his body officially identified.
You probably won't read much about it, I heard the local authorities were attempting to keep a lid on the whole story.