TARGA BAMBINA Accident

[Kiwi XTR2]

NZ Herald said:

Five spectators injured after rally car accident 12.03.06 12.15pm Five people have been taken to Middlemore Hospital with moderate to serious injuries this morning after a rally car spun into a group of spectators near Waiuku and Karioitahi Beach, southwest of Auckland. Two adults, two teenagers and a child were taken to hospital in a convoy of ambulances sent from Waiuku, Pukekohe and Papakura after the accident at about 9am. A St John Ambulance official said three were in a serious condition and the other two were suffering from moderate injuries. They were among thousands of spectators of the Targa rally of more than 100 cars which began at Pukekohe just after 8am and is due to end at Te Kauwhata just before 4pm.

I hope everyone comes through this OK.

I don't know the facts in this case but in my younger years it always amazed me at the places people chose to stand on rally stages. The stuff you see on telly from Spain et al is suicidal but some Kiwis are not much better.

How hard is it to look at a stage section and ask 3 simple questions :

1) If a car is going to crash where is it likely to go ? Don't stand there

2) Where are all the stones going to be flung ? Don't stand there either (unless you have a riot shield)

3) Of the remaining places where will I get the best view ?

I also did some marshalling but it infuriated me to the point that I gave it up. On one corner there was an escape road with big signs 'Do Not Stand Here'.

Every minute after a car went past

[kylie]

Made front page in the herald today! What a huge shame for all families involved in the accident. Also the poor Lotus Cortina on its roof. Hopefully its all repairable, it WAS a good example of a Lotus Cortina

>> Edited by kylie on Sunday 12th March 23:46

[GravelBen]

unfortunate accident, there are some truly stupid spectators out there. however, I've also been at a few events with anal-retentive marshalls refusing to let people stand in some perfectly safe places, and insisting that they be up a hill 50m away from the road.

it even made into the ODT, from the sound of it the driver took a wrong turn, then aimed for the ditch to avoid spectators but clipped a bank which rolled the car back into them. whoops.