Off-Road Bike Racer ‘Kurt Caselli’ Killed by ‘Booby Trap’ in Baja 1000

Kurt Caselli, a motorcycle racer, was killed on Friday night during the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 off-road bike race in Mexico. Early reports indicate that he was killed by a “booby trap" left by local residents.

He was 30 years old.

Caselli was close to the finish line of the 833-mile-long race when he crashed at around 5 p.m. Pacific time, reported Cycle News. The website said that reports on Twitter suggest a booby trap may have caused his death.

Locals apparently place traps on the track to disable racers’ bikes to prevent them from going on.

According to Cycle-News, he was flown to an Ensenada hospital with serious head injuries and died overnight. Another member of his racing team withdrew from the race after the incident.

Residents in the area apparently dig holes, build obstacles, or build ramps on the racetrack, according to Jalopnik. The booby traps aren’t necessarily set up to injure the rider or disable the bike but can be for “entertainment," the website stated, adding that they’re usually poorly constructed.

It is unclear if anyone will be charged in his death.

Caselli, who is originally from California, was described by several publications as being one of the best off-road motorcycle riders in the world. He is a AMA National Hare & Hound Champion, a WORCS Champion, and has been a ISDE gold medalist several times.