In a move not often seen from a government agency, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) stepped forward and took the blame for the crash this Friday, saying that it has failed to follow its own rules.
“The Initial Inquiry Team (IIT) concluded that the BLM did not follow its own standard procedures for permitting the event,” said the Bureau's official press release. “Further, the IIT found adherence to those standard procedures is inconsistent throughout the BLM’s California Desert District (CDD).”
"We did not adhere to our own procedures. It's our responsibility to make it right," concluded BLM spokeswoman Erin Curtis, adding that there are however others to blame as well.
The investigation found that the spectators were located within 10 feet of the track (3 meters). There were no guardrails separating the track from the spectators. BLM had no pre-race consultation with the organizers of the race, Mojave Desert Racing Production, there was no pre-race examination of the course and, the icing on the cake, there were no BLM staff members present at the race.
“These findings indicate that significant changes are appropriate in how Special Recreation Permits (SRPs) are processed and managed in the CDD,” said the BLM.
The changes that have been made by the BLM can be found in the PDF attached below.
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