Woman, 29, killed at Burning Man was hit by fur-covered 'Shagadelica' party bus filled with festival-goers

Alicia Cipicchio, 29, was hit by the bus after midnight on Thursday and died at the scene

Authorities are investigating the possibility she fell from the fur-covered, double-decker bus



Festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert reopened 6 a.m. Tuesday after it was postponed on its opening day

Annual free-spirited event attracts upwards of 70,000 people each year for a week-long party binge in the desert

Rain fell early on Monday morning turning the huge site into a muddy mess but perfect weather is now forecast for the rest of the week




The 29-year-old artist who was killed at Burning Man on Thursday was struck by a fur-covered party bus, it has emerged.

Alicia Louise Cipicchio, whom friends described as 'sweet, loving and adventurous', was hit by the vehicle carrying festival-goers just after midnight on Thursday and died at the scene. Authorities are now working to determine what led to the accident.

Cipicchio, from Jackson, Wyoming, was hit by a bus known as the 'Shagadelica', according to the Burning Man blog. She may have been riding on the double-decker bus before she fell under the wheels and was run over by it, said Sheila Reitz, dispatch supervisor for the Pershing County Sheriff's Office.



A website for the vehicle describes it as 'the ultimate night club on wheels... featuring a fully equipped DJ booth, an array of multi-beam laser sky projectors and lights, 32,000W of high quality sound, and a full bar'.

Tragedy: 29-year-old Alicia Cipicchio, from Jackson, Wyoming, was hit by a bus at Burning Man early on Thursday morning and passed away, authorities said Ride: She was hit by the Shagadelica, a double decker bus covered in fur (pictured at a previous Burning Man). Vehicles are only allowed to travel at 5mph at the festival Party bus: Authorities are investigating whether or not she was aboard the bus, which has a DJ and a bar on board, and then fell beneath the wheels Loved: Alicia, pictured second right with her mother and siblings, was remembered by friends as loving, caring and adventurous

It is not known whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident, authorities said. Cars are banned from Burning Man, which has its own transit system with a 5mph speed limit strictly enforced for safety reasons.



Cipicchio worked at a fine art gallery in Jackson Hole and had studied art at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, according to her Facebook profile. The page also reveals her love for hiking and shows her grinning alongside family members.



In a profile on couchsurfing.org, she listed her interests as 'nature, art, music, food, culture, philosophy, dancing, laughing' and said her philosophy was: 'Love your neighbor', SFGate reported.



A friend added on the website: 'Alicia is such a sweet, loving, adventurous, caring spirit. She just radiates wonderful vibes.'

An employee at the gallery where she worked said Cipicchio, who worked in sales and management, was an 'amazing girl, full of life, loved by everybody', the Reno Gazette Journal reported.



Mystical: People look at the art installation Embrace during the Burning Man 2014 "Caravansary" arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 27, 2014. People from all over the world have gathered at the sold out festival to spend a week in the remote desert cut off from much of the outside world

Ornate: The Temple of Grace at Burning Man 2014 is one of the focal points at the huge Nevada desert festival which has attracted upwards of 70,000 people this week



Silent: The Temple of Grace is seen during the Burning Man 2014 "Caravansary" arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, August 27, 2014. People from all over the world have gathered at the sold out festival to spend a week in the remote desert cut off from much of the outside world

Mad Max: A crowd watches as two fighters battle in the Thunderdome - which takes its inspiration from the third Mad Max movie starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner and obviously provides a template for the vast majority of 'burners' who flock to the Nevada desert each year Eye-catching: The 10-day festival displays massive works of art. Organizers say the crowd and artists are there to determine what Burning Man is

Hanging out: A woman poses in front of a painting in the Black Rock Desert of Gerlach, Nevada

In a statement, Burning Man co-founder Marian Goodell said: 'This is a terrible accident. 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.'

Burning Man - the largest outdoor arts festival in North America - is patrolled by 500 rangers in addition to 95 federal and local law enforcement officers.

This is not the first dead at Burning Man, Jim Parrish, Humboldt General Hospital chief executive, said earlier this week. He said that the most recent death at the event was seven years ago when an attendee fell under a trailer.

The shortest route to the hospital is more than 120 miles, but the roads mean it would take six hours to get there, but the hospital does have a helipad for air transport.



The tragedy comes after revelers eventually got through the event gates after being forced to wait outside due to heavy rains on Monday. On Thursday, it emerged that some festival -goers were forced to wait for up to 29 hours to get inside the gates.

Setting sun: Of the tens of thousands who will attend the event only a few thousand will spend the entire week partying - and many look down upon the so-called weekend warriors who arrive in their million dollar RVs for Friday through to Sunday

Quiet contemplation: The vast expanse of Nevada's Black Rock Desert unfolds in all its majesty - revealing the the enormous playa on which the party is raging this week Night time falls: People from all over the world have gathered at the sold out festival to spend a week in the remote desert cut off from much of the outside world to experience art, music and the unique community that develops Afloat on the desert: Party-goers enjoy a yacht party in the middle of the Black Rock Desert as the Burning Man celebrations get into full swing 90 miles away from Reno Deep: Mementos and notes are left at Temple of Grace during the Burning Man 2014 "Caravansary" arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada Cute: A 'burner' swings from a tree while another laid back gentlemen poses for an equally chilled photograph on the playa of the Black Rock Desert Fire: Participants enjoy the Burning Man festival on the Black Rock Desert in Gerlach. Organizers call Burning Man the largest outdoor arts festival in North America

Poser: This one festival goer was well prepared for the heavy rains the site suffered on Monday - causing the gates to close until the next day High point: Every year, as many as 70,000 people descend on the area in Black Rock City - and they make the festival their own Settling in: Eye-catching costumes and whacky floats are a mainstay of the festival, which is in its 28th year

Hanging out: Partgoers at Burning Man in the Nevada desert get to know each other after heavy rain delayed the start of the festival

Party time: The festivities last for 10 days at Black Rock City, where as many as 70,000 partygoers arrive for the cult-like celebration

Participants were finally allowed entry on Tuesday after the gates were closed on Monday amid the downpour.



In an update from the festival, blogger John Curley explained that in previous years, as many as 55,000 people were inside by midday on Sunday, but this year, only around 38,000 had made it through - suggesting that as many as 30,000 were forced to wait outside.



'We heard stories of the spontaneous parties of people trying to make the most of being stuck, of being participants at Waiting Man, and we also heard of horror tales of the hours it took to get through the lines,' he wrote.

One man 'said he heard the longest it took for one person to make it from Gerlach to Black Rock City was 29 hours. Oof.'

But now that the sun is out, 'burners' are doing what they do best: Party.



Seeking shade: This woman will only be using her umbrella against the sun after forecasters said there will be no more rain for the festival

Making a statement: A partygoer poses with an installation of televisions hauled out to the desert

Party bus: A flamboyant bus to rival Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Sleeping it off: Burners take a communal nap before the next party Tens of thousands of attendees who spent Monday night camping on the road, or in parking lots across the state made the most of Tuesday night and now t hat the sun is shining, Black Rock Desert looks to be back at it s bone-dry best in photos taken by participants.

Good weather is expected for the rest of the week and the burners are rushing to get back up to speed and build the mini-city that sprouts from the desert playa. The party culminates in the eponymous burning of a giant wooden figure, which stands at the centerpiece of the vast circular encampment. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Festival goers, or 'burners,' responded to the good news with excited tweets such as 'time to get back on the road,' and 'all roads lead to #burningman.' Burning Man is the largest outdoor arts festival in North America and is in its 28th year.

Described as an 'experimental community,' it incorporates plenty of partying plus lighting massive fire displays, donning eye-catching costumes and performing passionate dances at sunrise. Organizers stress it's mostly up to participants to decide what Burning Man is.

Traditionally only hard-core burners arrive when the gates open Monday and a crush of people often referred to as ‘Weekend Warriors’ show up sometime between Thursday and Saturday, reports NBC Bay Area. But usually by midweek there will be 15 streets circling the temporary city that resembles something from a post-apocalyptic movie.

Tickets for this years festival went on sale for $380, but have changed hands for up to $1,000 on the black market. Hiding out: Some partygoers hang out inside a large skull in the desert - of course Unique style: Now that the rain has stopped in the Black Rock Desert, the body paint and elaborate costumes can begin in earnest



Pony up: These two special unicorns and their stuffed-toy child make a lovely family Clown posse: This group's eclectic attire is given a common theme, while one of them dons a Harry Potter vest (right) In deep: The Black Rock City Subway takes passengers 'to the depths of [their] imagination' It has become a haven for hippies, artists, musicians and dancers and provides a week for people to explore artistic expression. No money is exchanged at the event; instead the festival-goers swap gifts to attain goods. The Black Rock Desert is 120 miles north of Reno and the gathering is the largest permitted event on federal land in the United States. After it moved from San Francisco's Baker Beach, the inaugural Burning Man in Nevada drew some 80 people in 1990. The first 1,000-plus crowd was in 1993, and attendance doubled each of the next three years before reaching 23,000 in 1999.

The standing water yesterday turned the playa 90 miles north of Reno into a quagmire and police barred ticket holders entry to the free-spirited week-long arts event. This year, as the rains fell, hundreds of vehicles massed outside the gates waiting for the weather to clear up, with some posting messages on Twitter about their predicament using the hashtag #strandedman.

Festival-goer Jordan Kalev arrived at the event by plane and took pictures of the site as he flew over showing the sheer volume of traffic massed at the entrance and the soggy state of the ground.

Others ended up in the parking lot of the Reno Wal-Mart.

Expressive in neon: Art cars lined up to be registered at the Black Rock DMV during the annual Burning Man event on the Black Rock Desert of Gerlach, Nevada on the eve of rain delays that followed Sunday into Monday Ready to rock: A Burning Man participant's bike is surrounded by art cars that are lined up at the Black Rock DMV to be registered at Burning Man on the Black Rock Desert of Gerlach, Nevada Ready to rock: A Burning Man participant's bike is surrounded by art cars that are lined up at the Black Rock DMV to be registered at Burning Man on the Black Rock Desert of Gerlach, Nevada Sheep: Revelers flock to the Black Rock DMV to be registered at the annual Burning Man event on the Black Rock Desert of Gerlach, Nevada Turned back at the gate to the Black Rock Desert after rare showers on Monday turned the ancient lake bottom to a muddy quagmire, hundreds of 'Burners' were forced to overnight on the Wal-Mart blacktop. Nearly a hundred other RVs pulled into the parking lot of the Grand Sierra Resort casino, across the street.

'We're just trying to stay positive,' said a woman from Oakland, California, who identified herself only as 'Driftwood,' and was hanging out with some first-timers from Texas. 'Positivity can raise everything up.'

Organizers announced after midnight that they could roll onto the lake. By mid-morning Tuesday all but a few dozen of the RVs were back on the road again, and by most accounts, no worse for the wear. 'We'll make the best of things' said Aviva Mohilner, a former public relations specialist from Los Angeles making her third trip. 'It always works out. Burners make it good.'

One New York City man loading coolers into a U-Haul on his first voyage to the desert wilderness said he was in too much of a hurry to make it to the desert Tuesday to talk. But another New Yorker, Ben Zion, asked a reporter to take a picture of him and his eight friends from Israel, all anxious first-timers. The rain delay was actually good for them, he said: 'We got to get some rest and a shower.'

Bohemian: Burning Man participants walk on the playa at the annual Burning Man event in the Black Rock Desert of Gerlach, Nevada on Monday - after the main revelers were turned away due to rain

The only way to get around: Burning Man participants bike on the playa during the annual Burning Man event on the Black Rock Desert of Gerlach, Nevada on Monday, prior to the 24 hour rain delay

Cuong Huynh, a four-time Burner and IT specialist from San Diego, California, said he's usually more concerned about dusty wind storms than rain, which is why he keeps his cellphone in a plastic bag. Last year, it rained just before the festival, packing all the dirt and keeping the dust down, he said.

'Rain is really good for us, just not while you're out there,' he said.

Destin Gerek, an 11-year veteran, thinks the delay will add a spark to the gathering.

'All this pent-up energy,' said Gerek, 36, who teaches Burning Man workshops on the 'intersection of sexuality and spirituality.'

Gerek grew up in New York City, lives in California and has toured 25 different countries. 'In all my travels, Burning Man is utterly unique,' he said. 'Absolutely nothing compares.'

That was the general consensus among Burners Monday night as many of the RVs, VW buses and truck's pulling trailers gathered at a makeshift staging area under the blinking pink casino lights twinkling through the night. It wasn't entirely unlike the contraptions that light up the weeklong desert gathering, which began at San Francisco's Baker Beach in 1986 and now culminates in the Black Rock with the burning of a towering wooden effigy Labor Day weekend. A record 68,000 people attended last year. New wave: From its humble beginnings, the Burning Man festival now expects 68,000 participants this year - and the encampment will resemble this by the end of the week

Temporary: Travelers en route to Burning Man parked more than 100 recreational vehicles at a Wal-Mart and the Grand Sierra Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada, Monday

Still, the Wal-Mart wasn't exactly what seekers of 'paradise on the playa' had in mind while driving hundreds of miles to the counter-culture festival, which offers theme camps, art exhibits, all-night music and guerrilla theater, along with a decent dose of nudity and a bunch of other stuff that's just plain weird.



One camp this year is 'Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust,' where participants are invited to be photographed as they 'strip naked, cover in Playa dust, paint cracks on the body and finalize with red hands to simulate a connection between oneself and the desert environment.'



The journey's final hours, across a dry, perfectly flat lake bed that seems to stretch on forever, is usually part of the fun.



Jeff Cross of Orange County, California, said the brief detour hadn't deterred his group's enthusiasm.

