Monster Truck Rally Accidents Not As Rare As You Might Think

Last week, a six-year-old boy was killed by flying debris at a Monster Truck rally at the Tacoma Dome. While many newspapers and media outlets around the world called the child's fatal head injury a "freak accident," The Tacoma News Tribune and the Associated Press reported that monster truck accidents are not as rare as you may hope - and that safety may be an issue at these events:

In 2007, a monster truck crash injured nine people (two seriously) during an event in DeKalb, Illinois.

In 1999, four people, including two children, were injured when a monster truck slammed into a pole and sent debris flying into the audience.

In 1999, a Prairie Capital Convention Center monster truck accident left one man dead and another injured when the vehicle went out of control.

In 1997, a monster truck hit a fence and flipped into the sidelines, killing a teenager and injuring two others.

In some instances, accidents are "freak accidents" that couldn't have been prevented or predicted. In other cases, however, unsafe or even negligent conditions can lead to serious injuries or even death, for both kids and adults.