FABENS, Texas — Eight people were injured Sunday night after a vehicle plowed into a crowd at a mud racing event in Texas.

The El Paso County Sheriff's Department said in a statement that at 6:35 p.m., a vehicle left the mud track and crashed through a guard rail and into spectators.

Three spectators were transported to a hospital in critical condition and five others with non-life-threatening injuries. None of the injured were identified by police.

"Today what happened was what we all hoped doesn't happen. Is a wreck while racing," said Scott Smith, owner of Rock Solid Protection, an El Paso-based security firm. Smith, speaking at a news conference, said that "the mud can tell the car where to go, at times" and that is what he said happened in this crash.

Karla Huerta, who was watching the race when it turned tragic, described the scene as "pretty ugly."

"Well, they started the race. And when they started, one of the trucks lost control and slammed into a pile of cars and people," Huerta said. She said there were a lot of ambulances at the scene after the crash and that a lot of people were taken away.

Three other vehicles were also struck as a result of the initial crash, the statement said. It was not immediately known what caused the vehicle to leave the track.

The track is located in Fabens, Texas, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of El Paso and less than a mile from the Mexican border.

Police said an investigation remains ongoing.