Edmonton – One day after a tragedy at the Jeeps Go Topless Show and Shine, organizers of the event are speaking about the incident.
“We are very very saddened by what happened yesterday, and our hearts go out to not only the family of the victim, but to everybody that was present and is affected by what happened,” says Sarina St. Germaine with the Alberta JK Owners Group.
A 20-year-old woman died after she was struck by a jeep that lost control during Saturday’s show at Oliver Square.
The woman was a spectator at the event.
Witnesses say a man driving an orange and black jeep was demonstrating a stunt, in which he drove his jeep up onto the tire of another jeep. The maneuver was over when the orange and black jeep accelerated forward, crushing the woman against the hood of a nearby jeep.
Paramedics performed CPR on the woman, before she was rushed to hospital where she died.
The Alberta JK Owners Group says the event was well planned and the maneuver was not a stunt.
“It is something that is done a lot. It’s a very slow maneuver. This has been done many times without any problems,” explains St. Germaine.
Shortly after Saturday’s incident, one witness said there was nothing the driver of the jeep could have done, but she wondered why bystanders were allowed to stand so close.
“They shouldn’t have allowed so many people next to this thing,” said Desiree Hallworth. “They should have had it blocked off so that people couldn’t have been so close, because something did go wrong.”
Police say the investigation is still in it’s early stages and no charges have been laid at this time.