A Spectator Has Died At Rallye Monte Carlo After A Crash On Stage One
The World Rally Championship’s new era got off to a tough start, with the opening stage of the Rallye Monte Carlo being cancelled after an incident.
A crash for Haydon Paddon on an icy left-hand corner also involved a spectator, who sadly died after the incident.
Paddon’s Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC slid off the icy road, with the car crashing into a bank and rolling onto its side. There is footage of the incident but we have chosen not to include it in this article.
It was reported a spectator was involved, had been injured and passed out, with medical crews quickly on the scene. But the WRC later announced the spectator had sadly passed away, issuing the following statement:
“The Automobile Club de Monaco regrets to advise further details following incident of the car #4 in SS1. The spectator was transported by helicopter from the stage to hospital in Nice. Despite the best efforts of the medical staff, the spectator has sadly died.
“An investigation has commenced into the incident and all involved parties will provide assistance to the authorities. Everyone associated with the event extends their deepest sympathies and condolences to the families, friends and individuals affected.”
Hyundai released its own statement after the incident:
Paddon shared a series of tweets, sending his condolences to the family and friends of the spectator:
Hyundai decided to withdraw the No.4 car from the rally as a mark of respect for the spectator.
The crash cancelled the first stage, with the second stage going ahead as planned. Thierry Neuville leads the way after Thursday’s action, with an 8.5 second gap to Sebastien Ogier.
Comments
so sad…
at least the last thing he was doing was something he loved
Is this the return in some kind of way of group b?
It is always sad to hear something like that and I’m really sorry for the family.
But to be honest I’m sick of seeing people stand at stupid dangerous places on rally stages.
I agree, we should really take this seriously. Though we shouldn’t let this ruin our day. What has happened is sad, though we still have to move on from it
I should mention that he was photographer (not spectator). That is big difference because photographers must agree with some rules to get license. The rule number one is: photographers shoot at their own risk!
R.I.P.
Motersport is dangerous
Please be safe arround the track
dang, now I gotta google for the video. thanks for making me work for it.
Salute to a fallen brave brothern
Sad way to start the new WRC era indeed, but that’s the problem with people standing on restricted places…