By now, most people have heard of
Velazquez Samaniego, the monster truck driver from Chihuahua, Mexico who killed
9 people and injured eight more in a recent accident. After making headlines
for over a week, Samaniego was finally charged with manslaughter, and local
prosecutors have stated that the driver did not meet all of the necessary
requirements to drive the monster truck being used at the time of the accident.
Whether Samaniego should be charged
or not is a matter of opinion, but the driver does still maintain that the
event was an accident. His story is that he lost his helmet, hit his head, and,
after being knocked unconscious, ended up running into the crowd of people
gathered to watch him participate in the event.
The really sad thing is that this
tragic accident could have been prevented. Stricter guidelines and requirements
for driving monster trucks should be enforced, and safety features such as lightbars,
could have been used to alert spectators to any possible troubles.
While nothing can undo these
tragic, recent events, you can keep yourself from being involved in such an
accident by investing in lightbars and other safety features for your vehicle.
