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Exclusive: Brett Sloppy, Driver In Off-Road Race Tragedy That Killed 8, Speaks Out To CBS2

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Brett Sloppy has spent the better part of a year wondering what went wrong.

Almost a year ago, his life behind the wheel of a car took a dramatic turn. After an off-road racing tragedy in which eight spectators were killed and 12 more injured, the deaths touched off investigations, inquiries, calls for changes in the sport of off-road racing.

Many questions, few answers.

Sloppy (pronounced Slope-peey) remained silent. Until now.

Brett Sloppy
(Credit: CBS)

He sat down recently with CBS2's Pat Harvey to discuss the horrible accident, his life since, and how he puts the pieces of that tragic day in the Mojave dessert behind him.

Or even if that is possible.

Sloppy had been gearing up for the "California 200," a 200-mile race on a 50-mile course.

He'd been preparing to compete for nearly his entire life. He told Pat Harvey that while he hoped to win, he really just wanted to finish.

He couldn't have possibly planned mentally for the horror that lay ahead. Sloppy does recall, seeing the spectators and believing many of them were too close to the action.

After getting out of his crashed and overturned vehicle he gasped. "That was the worst visual, worst sight of my life."

Brett's mother also recalled the horror. "Everybody was screaming. The screams were blood curdling screams. I had to walk over bodies to get to him."

Sloppy, currently facing three separate lawsuits for allegedly driving recklessly,  is ready to break his silence. "I didn't want to hide," he says, "I wanted to get out and say my apologies and talk to these family members."

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