Desert racing crew member electrocuted

A crew member of a Southern California-based desert racing support team was electrocuted early Saturday about 140 miles north of Pahrump before the start of the Terrible's Town 250 event, authorities said.

The Nye County Sheriff's office reported that emergency crews were called to U.S. Highway 95, near mile marker 46, about 6:20 a.m. with a call about an electrocution.

At the scene, emergency workers found that Jeffrey Shepard was killed and Raul Navarette injured while trying to erect an antenna, which made contact with a power line, the sheriff's office said.

Navarette was airlifted to University Medical Center. His condition was not immediately known late Saturday.

Shepard's father and fiancé were at the scene at the time of the accident, the sheriff's office said.

Shepard was a member of the Baja Fools, which provides pit services for desert racing teams, according to dirtnewz.com, a Web site that reports on desert racing.

He was setting up radio communication for the Riviera Racing team's pit area midway on the 245-mile course at Lone Butte, which is about 124 miles north of the starting line in Johnnie. Johnnie is 16 miles north of Pahrump.

The Riviera team went on to win the Best in the Desert series Trick Truck title with drivers Rob MacCachren of Las Vegas and co-driver Mark Post of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., who owns the team.

Best In The Desert Inc., which is run from Sportsman Cycle in Las Vegas, is owned and operated by Casey Folks. The 14-year-old organization has 10 races on this year's schedule.