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Drone Crash Caused More Injuries at 'Great Bull Run' Than Bulls
Authorities are still trying to figure out who owned the drone. It is also unclear if it was pilot error or a malfunction that caused the device to go down. (Image via WTVR video screenshot)

Drone Crash Caused More Injuries at 'Great Bull Run' Than Bulls

"It just hit a dude in the face."

It turns out that the bulls weren't the only thing those attending the Great Bull Run in Virginia had to worry about. An RC drone crashed into the crowd at the weekend event, injuring a few people.

The drone dropped into the stands at Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond Saturday, highlighting why the Federal Aviation Administration has been tasked with drafting new regulations to govern the growing use of this technology by both the public and private markets. Back in June, TheBlaze reported on another civilian drone crash, which also showed how the technology could pose physical dangers in some situations.

drone crash at bull run Authorities are still trying to figure out who owned the drone. It is also unclear if it was pilot error or a malfunction that caused the device to go down. (Image via WTVR video screenshot)

The Great Bull Run, which made its debut as the U.S. version of the Spanish tradition, saw more than 4,000 participants broken into heats of about 500 runners chased by at least a dozen bulls, according to Reuters. About 8,000 spectators came to the event.

The Great Bull Run Runners clear out in front of the bulls during The Great Bull Run event at the Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie, Va., on Saturday, Aug., 24, 2013. (Photo: AP/Richmond Times-Dispatch, Joe Mahoney)

Although there were two runner injuries -- one requiring hospital attention -- Major W.B. Knott with Dinwiddie County Sheriff's Office told the Washington Post four to five people were injured by the drone. These injuries were minor and treated on site.

Watch footage of the drone crash on WTVR-TV's feed. Someone filming the device as it flew narrates its fall, exclaiming that "it just hit a dude in the face."

WTOP-TV reported that authorities are still trying to track down the owner of the device.

According to Reuters, this bull run was the first of a 10-city tour in the U.S., modeled after the annual run in Pamplona.

Watch the final run with 700 people and two dozen bulls:

Here's a GoPro head-camera view of the run:

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