In an unfortunate accident, involving a support vehicle of Race2Recovery team and two taxis has resulted in two deaths & atleast 7 injur...
In an unfortunate accident, involving a support vehicle of Race2Recovery team and two taxis has resulted in two deaths & atleast 7 injured, when the support-vehicle [not race-vehicle] of Race2Recovery team and two civilian taxis.
The event organisers have released this statement:
TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
A serious accident involving 3 vehicles occurred in Peru on Wednesday 9th January at 21.30 hours (Peru time), 10 kilometres from the border with Chile.
The accident involved a support vehicle with 3 passengers and two taxis, one of them carrying 6 people and the other with 4 people.
One of the two taxis collided head on with the support vehicle, and the second taxi overturned several times in an attempt to avoid the accident.
Unfortunately, two of the people in the first taxi – one of them the driver – died, and 7 others were injured (4 Peruvians and the 3 passengers in the support vehicle). They are being examined in hospitals in Tacna (Peru), where they were taken following the accident.
Assistance coordination has been put in place by the Peruvian authorities and the organisation of the rally, involving 3 local ambulances, a fire engine and several police officers. The organisation has also jointly deployed 2 paramedic ambulance vehicles from the rally and 2 security vehicles.
An Antonov aircraft of the Peruvian police has been put on special alert to transport the injured to Lima, in coordination with the rally’s medical service.
The Peruvian authorities have begun an inquiry into the accident in order to determine the exact causes.
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Race2Recovery team have issued this statement:
UPDATE ON RACE2RECOVERY DAKAR RALLY TEAM INVOLVED IN SERIOUS ROAD TRAFFIC INCIDENT
Three British members of the Race2Recovery team competing in the Dakar Rally in South America have been badly injured in a road traffic accident, it was confirmed early today. (Thursday)
Their vehicle, a Land Rover Defender (a team support vehicle not a race car) was involved in a head-on collision while travelling in convoy on Day 5 of the challenge with other support vehicles in the town of Tacna, in Peru near the Chilean border.
It is understood that two other vehicles were involved in the accident and two people received fatal injuries and others were injured.
The three Race2Recovery members are Justin Birchall, 40, a team driver and civilian volunteer from Burnley, Lancashire, whose Wildcat vehicle retired earlier in the race; former Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer and Gulf War and Falklands war veteran Lee Townsend, a team mechanic, from Yate near Bristol; and retired Army Major John Winskill, aged 42, the team logistics expert from Durrington, near Salisbury, Wilts.
The men were transferred to a local hospital and later flown from Tacna by an Antonov aircraft to hospital in Lima where they are said to be ‘stable and conscious.” Their injuries were described as “non-life-threatening.” Their families have been informed of the accident by other team members.
Team leader Captain Tony Harris said: “Our hearts go out to the families and relatives of those who have died in this tragic accident and we offer them our condolences and sympathy. Our entire team has been struck by the friendliness and support we have received from the Peruvian people since arriving for the Dakar Rally.”
Captain Harris said that the Team had unanimously agreed to continue the challenge with the two remaining Wildcat vehicles.
“The team decided before we even started that we would continue our endeavour. This is obviously a huge shock but we know that we have the blessing of the injured. They want the team to finish,” he said.
The accident is being investigated by the local police in Peru and the team is being supported by the race organisers.
The Race2Recovery team consists of four Wildcat race vehicles and additional support vehicles. The team is made up of British and US servicemen who have been severely injured and lost limbs in conflict and civilian volunteers.
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It is very unfortunate that this accident has happened, that too with a team who are here to beat their tragic pasts. May the departed souls rest in peace, condolences to the dearest ones & wish speedy recovery to the injured.
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