San Diego

Dirt Bike Racer Josear Carrasco Released From Hospital Weeks After Crash

Josear Carrasco's father said the damage done to his son’s bike in the Aug. 10 crash looked as if he ran straight into a wall

A well-known San Diego-based dirt bike rider was released from the hospital Wednesday weeks after a bad racing accident in Baja California, Mexico nearly killed him.

Despite his long road to recovery, he is turning this incident into a lesson for the racing industry.

Josear Carrasco, 29, went from the speed and adrenaline of an off-road course to a San Diego hospital bed.

He was leading a portion of the RECORD Ensenada to San Quintin 250 on Aug. 10 when he collided head-on with a spectator vehicle that entered the course.

"That’s the risky parts of being a leader on a race because spectators aren’t expecting the bikes to come down that early," Carrasco’s father told Telemundo 20 days after the crash. "He was like 10 to 20 minutes ahead of the time he was supposed to be making. He was flying. He was going probably 85 miles an hour."

But still, he can’t wait to get back on a bike and he wants his fans to know he's not discouraged.

"It didn't have anything to do with me doing something wrong, with me bobbling on the bike, any mechanical problems," Carrasco told NBC 7.

He broke bones all over his body, including his neck and back, ruptured his intestines and suffered second-degree burns. He's been sharing his road to recovery over social media with his almost 20,000 Instagram followers.

"I’ve been having people from all over the world that’ve been helping me out with awesome thoughts, great comments, positive vibes," said Carrasco.

He told NBC 7 the traumatic experience has helped him turn the accident into a lesson.

"Me having a voice to tell everybody to try and be safe when you’re out there. Try and pre-run. Try to look around," said Carrasco.

More than 10 surgeries later, he can finally go home and can't wait to get back on a bike.

"My bones are going to heal faster and hopefully I’ll get to ride faster than expected and be back on track and doing what I love," he said.

As of Wednesday night, the GoFundMe account Carrasco’s wife created has raised more than $76,000.

“That’s the risky parts of being a leader on a race because spectators aren’t expecting the bikes to come down that early,” he said. “He was like 10-20 minutes ahead of the time he was supposed to be making. He was flying. He was going probably 85 miles an hour.”

Contact Us