Ales Loprais confirmed that a spectator who died on Tuesday at the Dakar rally collided with his truck. Information about the first tragic incident at the ninth stage of the 45th edition of the famous competition was published by the organizers on Tuesday evening. The top driver of the truck category posted video and footage of the crash on Facebook early Wednesday morning and confirmed that he was an unwitting participant.
Ales Loprais confirmed that a spectator who died on Tuesday at the Dakar rally collided with his truck. Information about the first tragic incident at the ninth stage of the 45th edition of the famous competition was published by the organizers on Tuesday evening. The top driver of the truck category posted video and footage of the crash on Facebook early Wednesday morning and confirmed that he was an unwitting participant.
“I’m terribly sorry, and this will carry me through life,” said Loprais, who did not notice the collision in the truck at all. The 69-year-old rally fan from Italy was behind a dune at the time of the accident, hidden from the pilot’s field of vision. He died from his injuries when he was taken to the hospital in a rescue helicopter.
“Unfortunately, he found a spot under a dune and we didn’t see him. With this, I would like to express my condolences to the family, relatives and friends, said Loprais, who celebrated his 43rd birthday on Tuesday. According to the information he received from the organizers, two or three hours after the accident, the viewer felt nauseous, and during transportation to the hospital he had a heart attack.
He learned about the accident at the bivouac when he was about to go to bed. “Human life was destroyed and de facto by my actions because I turned the wheel. But I have to say that I didn’t know about it at all. None of the crew either. We have onboard and external videos to prove it. However, this does not change the fact that human life has died out.” Loprais said sadly.
About eight dozen people have been reported to have died in the Dakar Rally since 1979, although the exact number varies according to different sources. There were 27 participants, the rest were accompanying persons, journalists and spectators. In 1986, the founder of the Dakar Rally, Thierry Sabin, died after a helicopter crash during the race.
Source: Blesk