Sources: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5279436/Rally-drivers-death-defying-escape-from-crash.html; http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/05/06/incredible-video-of-115mph-rally-car-crash-which-left-driver-with-minor-cuts-115875-21335096/
Another day, another country, another rally crash! Nobody injured at this one though, although having watched the video below, I’m not sure how they survived!
The accident happened at 0930 at the RDP Welsh Rally at Epynt, Mid Wales on 3rd May, 2009. As the car came over the jump at 115mph, there was a gust of wind and it lost its line in the air. The car landed in the ditch and started catapulting through the air before coming to a rest 150yards away. Both driver (Darren Pools, 35yrs) and co-driver (Chris Beer, 37yrs) momentarily lost consciousness and were flown to hospital for checks, however amazingly both drivers were later released with minor bruising. The £20,000 Talbot Sunbeam was however a write-off.
Darren comments that: “The car landed in a ditch and just started rolling over and over. After a few rolls my helmet was ripped off my head and at one stage my arms and legs were hanging out of the window. You have a very short time to react – it was very scary. It felt like we were in a tumble drier, although it was a bit of a blur really.”
While Chris summed the accident up when he said how he felt lucky to be alive after medics told him the force of the rolling car had pushed his internal organs upwards and nearly ripped out his eyes.”
Kris is a Senior Lecturer, and Co-Director of the Centre for International Sports Law (CISL) at Staffordshire University, UK. He originally trained and competed as an elite gymnast until a shoulder injury at university forced him to retire as an active competitor. He now spends his spare time coaching Trampolining, Gymnastics, DMT, Cheerleading, Parkour and anything that involves throwing yourself through the air with various degrees of twist and rotation!
Jon is an Associate Professor, and Co-Director of the Centre for International Sports Law (CISL) at Thompson Rivers University, British Columbia. Jon worked as a climbing guide, trained and coordinated search and rescue, managed risk and sales in the United States with a European-based manufacturer of outdoor equipment and advised recreation programmes on their exposure to legal risk. His extra-curricular background is just as diverse and includes stints playing semi-pro volleyball in Brazil, researching wolves in the Canadian Rockies, climbing and leading expeditions from Alaska to Argentina, Tajikistan to the Tetons, and many points in between. He has been married to Wendy for 15 years and together they have 2 wonderful kids – Tegan (10) and Brock (8) – whom he continues to emotionally scar as their football coach!
June 22, 2009
accident