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Guo crashes Mini at Dakar Rally, 10 hurt
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A 10-YEAR-OLD boy and his father were seriously injured when a speeding car smashed into spectators during the prologue of the Dakar Rally on Saturday.
In total 10 people — all spectators — were hurt in the accident on the first day of the endurance race, with eight others suffering less serious injuries.
“The joint resources of the organization and local forces have taken over and evacuated four injured, including two seriously affected,” organizers said in a statement early yesterday.
“Police have indicated that six more lightly injured have been transferred to hospital.”
The incident, which involved the Mini of Guo Meiling, saw the prologue — which takes place before the first stage yesterday — “neutralized” and immediately suspended in horrific scenes, race organizers said. Guo is the first Chinese woman to compete in the Dakar rally.
Guo’s car veered off the course at the 6.6-kilometer mark of the 11km prologue on a stretch of straight country road near Arrecifes, a town 200km from the Argentine capital Buenos Aires.
Race chiefs immediately deployed four medical helicopters, three medical vehicles belonging to the organizers and eight local ambulances to the scene of the accident.
A 34-year-old man and his son aged 10 were the two most serious cases and had to be rushed to hospital with one suffering head injuries and the other chest trauma, said race director Etienne Lavigne.
The injured were brought to hospital at Arrecifes, with the two more seriously injured later transferred to a hospital at Pilar, 50km from Buenos Aires.
“In total, we had 10 patients, including four children and one pregnant woman, who is okay,” said Daniel Modesto, head of the local hospital.
“Medical assessments are ongoing,” organizers added.
The accident left Guo’s car battered, its bonnet strewn on the ground, as emergency workers carted the injured off on stretchers.
An inquiry has been opened by local authorities with the Chinese team to be questioned by police.
Between 50,000 and 60,000 people were expected along the route of the prologue.
In 2015, Polish motorbike rider Michal Hernik died at the end of a stage, but the last accident involving spectators at the Dakar Rally was in 2011, when one person was killed.
Nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb safely negotiated the prologue in his debut on the Dakar Rally.
Dutchman Bernhard ten Brinke, driving a Toyota, had claimed victory, taking 6 minutes 08 seconds to cover the 11km special, beating Carlos Sainz (Peugeot) and Xavier Pons (Ford Ranger).
Frenchman Loeb is seeking to follow in the footsteps of Ari Vatanen, who won the Dakar in his first attempt in 1987, back when it was raced in Africa.
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