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Woman Hit, Killed By Bus In 'Tragic Accident' At Burning Man

BLACK ROCK DESERT, Nev. (CBS SF) -- A woman who died at the Burning Man festival in northern Nevada early Thursday morning after reportedly being run over by a vehicle carrying festivalgoers has been identified as a 29-year-old from Jackson, Wyoming, according to Bay Area-based organizers for the event.

Event organizers said Alicia Louise Cipicchio was killed after apparently falling underneath a "large vehicle" at the festival.

Organizers are working with local law enforcement investigating the collision and are asking anyone with information to call the Pershing County Sheriff's Office at (775) 273-2641.

Cipicchio was among the roughly 68,000 people estimated in attendance at the weeklong annual music and arts festival in Black Rock City, Nevada. According to her Facebook page, the 29-year-old worked at a Jackson Hole art gallery and previously studied art at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

"This is a terrible accident," Burning Man co-founder Marian Goodell said in a statement.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and campmates. Black Rock Rangers and Emergency Services Department staff are providing support to those affected," Goodell said.

In 2003, 21-year-old Belmont resident Katherine Lampman died at Burning Man when she fell underneath a float-like "art car" at the festival and was run over.

Burning Man began as a small event at Baker Beach in San Francisco in the 1980s and has grown into one of the world's largest music and arts festivals, attracting some 70,000 "burners" to the Nevada desert each year.

San Francisco-based Black Rock City, LLC puts on the annual event that organizers describe as a "thriving year-around culture," with a significant number of festivalgoers coming from the Bay Area.

Burning Man parties, mixers and artists' workshops are typically held in the Bay Area each year both before and after the weeklong festival.

This year, attendees from the Bay Area and beyond entered the festival a day late on Tuesday after rain delayed the event's start.

© Copyright 2014 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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