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The test of the British pilot Ruairi Bell in the Alto Tâmega River caused three minor injuries, after initial reports pointed to a serious injury, the president of the race organization told Lusa, corroborated by the GNR.
“I immediately went to the Chaves hospital to review the situation. The firefighter who took the greatest care is only a minor wound with some abrasions and must have a fracture, but fortunately everything is fine and there was no need to transfer to another hospital. said Nuno Loureiro, president of Clube Aventura do Minho (CAMI).
According to Nuno Loureiro, the accident was due to “a mechanical failure” in the car of the driver Ruairi Bell, who left “in front of an area where the security means were” and where the “objective would be a very strong braking to make a hook left “.
The president of CAMI said that “there is no reason for the car to come out like this if it is not for a malfunction.”
The rest of the injured are the co-pilot and an assistant, who the organization has not yet been able to specify whether or not he belonged to the media.
“Unfortunately, these are things that happen in this sport. It is a very important rally in the Portuguese Rally Championship. Tomorrow [domingo] Get back on the road to finish this less good moment in beauty, ”said Nuno Loureiro.
“Today’s test was the last Special Classification Test (PEC), it was suspended because when there is an accident we have between 15 and 20 minutes to solve the problem or we have to neutralize the PEC and the competitors go to the next one, it was not necessary because it was the last, ”he explained.
However, a source from the Vila Real GNR confirmed that the accident caused three minor injuries. At first, an official from the Vila Real GNR told Lusa that the accident “caused two minor injuries, the pilot and the co-pilot, and one seriously injured, one of the firefighters who was nearby.”
“The test has been suspended, rescue efforts for the victims have been carried out and the continuation of the test is being studied,” Lieutenant Rui Bento said.
However, while an organization source also said the firefighter was the case that inspired the most attention, the injuries were not serious, according to the organization and the GNR.
The accident occurred in the second and last classified of the day, in Chaves, after the British lost control of the Ford Fiesta, crashing into an ambulance and a car of the organization.
The Alto Tâmega Rally, the fourth race of the 2020 Rally Portugal Championship, will take place this weekend in the areas of Chaves and Boticas.
Five-time national rally champion and championship leader Armindo Araújo (Skoda Fabia R5) finished the first day ahead 2.3 seconds ahead of sub-championship leader Bruno Magalhães (Hyundai i20 R5).
The Alto Tâmega Rally ends on Sunday, with a double pass through the Chaves-Boticas (19.4 km) and Boticas (14.23 km) sections, which in its second and last qualifying rally, has the status of ‘stage power’ .
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