A 9-year-old motocross rider tragically died on Sunday in a “freak accident” while racing on the track at California’s Motorsports Park.
Authorities and family members said Brooke Carlton was riding an all-terrain motorcycle at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park when she was struck by another underage rider shortly before 10 a.m.
Paramedics arrived and transported Brooke, who was unconscious, to a local hospital but were unable to save her life, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The other child involved in the crash suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.
The girl’s parents and friends announced her death on a fundraising page set up to support her family.
“God called our sweet Brooke Lily to heaven yesterday after a freak accident at a local motocross track,” Jason and Angie Carlton wrote. “Our family is still trying to understand why Brooke passed away, but we firmly believe God needed her and called her to heaven.”
Brooke was an ambassador for the motorsports apparel brand Go Fast Girls. Her profile on the website She said she loves “going out on the track and competing with other girls and going fast.”
The 9-year-old girl is described as “the sweetest girl with a warm smile and bright blonde curly hair that could brighten anyone’s day” on a GoFundMe page set up to support her family.
“To those who really knew Brooke, she was a total tomboy who knew what she wanted and there was no way around it,” family friend Allie Giles wrote in a description of the fundraiser. “One look at her sparkling eyes and toothy smile means the sky is literally pink and purple and you’re like, ‘buy her some ice cream.'”
Brooke loved her parents, her grandparents and her dog Gunner, but “she loved her brother Landon the most,” Giles wrote.
Motorsport Park, where the fatal crash occurred, offered its support to Brooke’s family in a statement paying tribute to the girl.
“We are truly saddened by this situation. As the parent stated, this was a truly freak accident,” Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park said in an Instagram post. “Now is not the time to blame the track, but rather to remember this girl and support her family. We are a community and will do our part to support the family as well.”
Officers from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station and the Department of Transportation are investigating the crash.
