Eight killed in California off-road race

A vehicle ran into a crowd and killed eight people during an off-road race in the Southern California desert, police said today.

One of the vehicles in the California 200 race ploughed into the crowd, San Bernardino County sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said.

She said 12 people were injured and many of the wounded were airlifted to hospitals.

The race was being held in Soggy Dry Lake Bed near the city of Lucerne Valley.