Spectators injured in Rally Accident.
Spectators injured in Rally Accident.
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Discussion

MonkeyHanger

Original Poster:

9,267 posts

271 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-o...

I hope everyone involved makes a full & speedy recovery.

Defcon5

6,465 posts

220 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
Could the drivers be prosecuted at all? I hope not

Turn7

25,676 posts

250 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
I dont undertsand why Rally organisers continue to allow spectators to sit on the outside of a corner, its asking for trouble.

IainW

1,631 posts

204 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
Turn7 said:
I dont undertsand why Rally organisers continue to allow spectators to sit on the outside of a corner, its asking for trouble.
From reading the news stories, that wasn't the problem, if anyone was standing there in the first place. Spectators were trying to help a car that went off and the next car hit them.

Turn7

25,676 posts

250 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
IainW said:
From reading the news stories, that wasn't the problem, if anyone was standing there in the first place. Spectators were trying to help a car that went off and the next car hit them.
Fair enough, I was only looking at the pic on the OPs link.

MonkeyHanger

Original Poster:

9,267 posts

271 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
Defcon5 said:
Could the drivers be prosecuted at all? I hope not
I would think anyone involved could be prosecuted if they are found to be in any way at fault. Hopefully it won't come to that.

zac510

5,546 posts

235 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
Turn7 said:
I dont undertsand why Rally organisers continue to allow spectators to sit on the outside of a corner, its asking for trouble.
Allow? How can you police hundreds of kilometres of a rally stage?

IainW

1,631 posts

204 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
A better explanation of it all. It happened on a straight. http://www.admc.org.uk/press_granite.html

anonymous-user

83 months

Saturday 14th April 2012
quotequote all
It was a shocking accident which I hope never to see again.

A Nissan Micra driven by two ladies who were rallying for good causes and charity lost control of the car and landed in the ditch. Spectators as we all do went to help retrieve the car to help them back into the rally.

Two cars later a 205 gti lost it in the exact same mannor and hit the back of the Micra where four men were pushing.

These guys were very badly injured and a 50 year old man was airlifted to hospital with critical injuries. The others three had serious injuries and were also taken to hospital.

All the guys who were hurt are members of leading Scottish motorsport clubs and another was a competitor in the Scottish Rally Championship so they know about the rules and safety aspect of rallying but this was just a freak and terrible accident.

My thoughts are with the families of the injured and to the competitors who were involved as they were going through hell.

BTW I was very annoyed to find out that the rally was allowed to continue by the organisers A.D.M.C considering the injuries involved as they knew the serious nature of the crash.

Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 14th April 23:44


Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 14th April 23:45

Chrisgr31

14,275 posts

284 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
quotequote all
ELUSIVEJIM said:
BTW I was very annoyed to find out that the rally was allowed to continue by the organisers A.D.M.C considering the injuries involved as they knew the serious nature of the crash.
Whilst I understand your views about the rally continuing the accident was apparently a freak one (as you state) and therefore there was unlikely to be a similat incident later in the day. Those inhured are apparently all members of a Scottish Motorsports Club and therefore are likely to have wanted the rally ro continue as it was a freak accident. I can see why the rally continued.

Obviously hope that all involved make a speedy recovery and that the drivers involved return to the sport as it was an accident.



P I Staker

3,308 posts

185 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
quotequote all
Turn7 said:
I dont undertsand why Rally organisers continue to allow spectators to sit on the outside of a corner, its asking for trouble.
We where moving them from the outside of our junction all day. All where polite and more then happy to move once the dangers where explained and showed by one or two of the cars bouncing off the banking on the exit. Although there where reports of some spectators refusing to move after being told to by a marshal. Not everyone wants to listen.

Regardless, in this incident thats not what the problem was. It was just very unlucky unfortunately.

FloppyRaccoon

1,916 posts

195 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
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I was going to go to this but other things came up. I know exactly where that Micra comes from as well.

Bit gutted I didn't get to see the cars, I'm only 5 mins from the start and finish. However I wouldn't dream of standing on the outside of a bend....

IainW

1,631 posts

204 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
quotequote all
It's a horrible feeling when an accident like that happens. I was at Lurgan Park in 2007 when a car went off into the crowd. Fortunately nobody was killed and I think a broken leg was the worst of the injuries. I saw the car go off, but thankfully didn't see it go into the crowd because my view was obscured. I just wanted to get to the airport and go home after seeing that, the atmosphere wasn't very nice.

FloppyRaccoon

1,916 posts

195 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
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IainW said:
It's a horrible feeling when an accident like that happens. I was at Lurgan Park in 2007 when a car went off into the crowd. Fortunately nobody was killed and I think a broken leg was the worst of the injuries. I saw the car go off, but thankfully didn't see it go into the crowd because my view was obscured. I just wanted to get to the airport and go home after seeing that, the atmosphere wasn't very nice.
Very off topic, but you bd. I wanted that username.

Scuderia2112

75 posts

173 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
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To paraphrase Martin Brundle, 'Motorsport is dangerous, it says it on the back of the ticket'

Still sad when things like this happen to fans though.

Allyc85

7,225 posts

215 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
quotequote all
Scuderia2112 said:
To paraphrase Martin Brundle, 'Motorsport is dangerous, it says it on the back of the ticket'

Still sad when things like this happen to fans though.
Agreed, fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.

It does piss me off though when people assume what happened, with out actually reading the article. It really dosnt help the sport, and is the kind of thing the people who hate it pick up on to get it stopped.

Fire99

9,865 posts

258 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
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Sounds like a terrible accident. Hope all involved make a full recovery.

Sadly, it happens. Show must go on.

Skyedriver

23,320 posts

311 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
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I know I wasn't there but have been on many rallies as a spectator, marshal & competitor.
When an "off" occurs someone is supposed to go back with a triangle, and any spectator with a bit of sense would make sure that there was someone down the track slowing cars down. Did this happen at this incident.
Hope those involved both the injured and the competitors are ok.
This sort of thing can have a lasting effect on all concerned.

P I Staker

3,308 posts

185 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
quotequote all
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSNr_gBBFcw

Heres the Micra going off. (Does not include anyone being hit by any vehicle)

gog440

9,298 posts

219 months

Sunday 15th April 2012
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As someone who has done a fair bit of marshalling the biggest problem with spectators is that some of them think they are invincible and so will insist on standing in the stupidest and most dangerous places and as a marshall you only have the power to advise them to move, if they choose to ignore you and get splatted that is their choice. I'm not for a minute suggesting this is what happened in this case, if all the injured here were members of a motorclub they should have known the risks of what they were doing. One thing that does spring to mind though is had anyone gone back up the stage to slow the oncoming cars down? That should be one of the first things done IMO.

Just to make it clear, I'm not for a minute having a pop at these particular spectators, I wouldnt want anyone to be injured and it certainly doesnt seem that they were doing anything they shouldnt.