( CNN ) -- The driver of a truck that crashed into a crowd of spectators in a California desert , killing eight , will not face criminal charges , a spokesman for the highway patrol said on Monday . Four people were also taken to hospitals in serious condition after the Saturday crash at an off-road race in Southern California 's Mojave Desert . Five others suffered minor to moderate injuries . `` The reason we are not going to file criminal charges is because it was a sanctioned event , '' said Mario Lopez , a California Highway Patrol spokesman . Lopez added that California vehicle codes did not apply to the race because permits were issued to the event 's organizers . He said any safety violations would be investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management , which owns the land where the race happened , or by agencies that handle permitted events . The 200-mile race was part of an amateur series on a course in the Lucerne Valley area of San Bernardino County , east of Los Angeles , said Tim Franke of the San Bernardino County Fire Department . The Bureau of Land Management has said it is looking into the deadly crash , as well as conducting a safety review of other off-road vehicle events in the state 's deserts . The race 's sanctioning body , Mojave Desert Racing , urges spectators to stay back 100 feet from the 50-mile course . `` But as you can tell , there are no delineations to where the track begins and where the track ends at this point , '' said Joaquin Zubieta , a California Highway Patrol spokesman . Images from the night of the crash show trucks speeding within feet of spectators . Mojave Desert Racing was not immediately available for comment . The land management bureau has said the group was responsible for the safety of everyone at the race . `` You can give all the warnings you want , but at the end of the day , they 're out there , they 're on their own and they do what they want , '' Larry Webster , automotive editor for Popular Mechanics magazine , said about off-road race crowds . `` It 's almost like a vehicular version of running with the bulls , and obviously we can tell it 's really dangerous , '' he told CNN . Authorities have identified Brett Sloppy as the driver of the out-of-control truck . In a Facebook message , Sloppy , who has not responded to repeated requests by CNN for comment , said he was devastated by what happened . `` Soo incredibly lost and devistated [ sic ] my thoughts and prayers go out to all the familys and friends involved , '' the San Marcos resident said on his Facebook page late Sunday . `` Thank you too all my friends for sticking with me even thru these tragic times I love you all . '' Vince Dimiao , a driver who was running just ahead of the truck that crashed , said races often take place at night because of the extreme daytime heat . He said officials initially halted the race for an hour because of the crash , then canceled it when the scope of the `` carnage '' became known . Keith Carty , who had a friend killed in the California crash , told CNN 's HLN that races attract a certain type of person -- someone who wants to participate as much as watch an event . `` These are hard-core , off-road enthusiasts , '' he said about people who attend off-road races . `` It 's not anybody 's turn to baby-sit us . We 're out there -- we understand the risk . Everybody that was there understood the risk -- the drivers , the spectators , everybody , '' said Carty . Jonathan Davy , who attended Saturday 's deadly race and captured the accident on video , said he sensed the danger even before the crash . The event was his first off-road race . `` What seemed to be like a great day ... something I had never been to before , just turned tragic , '' he said . `` It 's forever going to be in my head . I could n't sleep last night . I got chills right now just thinking about it . '' CNN 's Stan Wilson , Nick Valencia , Chuck Johnston and Rick Martin contributed to this report .
The Bureau of Land Management says it will review accident , other desert events . Comment: The driver says he is devastated by the incident . Truck crash at the off-road desert race leaves eight people dead .