A very dangerous incident took place in Rally Croatia on Sunday, when a bunch of spectators found themselves on the tarmac during a rally stage. Thankfully they were forced out of the way, exactly ten seconds before a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid passed at full speed, narrowly escaping serious injury or even death.
Sometimes it’s hard to believe how careless some people are when it comes to their own safety. For unknown reasons, two spectators started a fight during the WRC event. Other individuals got involved in a quest to calm them down, but things got an ugly turn. The fight escalated quickly and two people ended up lying on the ground in the middle of the rally course. Safety instructors dressed in orange vests and a security guy or police officer assessed the situation risking their own lives, as a small crowd ended up where only rally cars should be allowed.
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The terrifying video was published on Facebook by T4T World Rally Team. As you can see, all the people involved miraculously escaped without any injuries. The last one to leave the tarmac was a safety official who climbed out with the help of others. Just after the road got cleared, the Toyota GR Yaris rally car appeared out of nowhere literally flying through the air.
Modern WRC cars are lightning-fast and drivers usually have little or no visibility after the next turn or jump relying on the notes of their co-driver. This was the case with that specific spot in Croatia, meaning that a serious accident would be inevitable if anything was in the way. In fact, this incident could easily evolve into the worst accident in recent WRC history if the timing was slightly off.
Rally Croatia seems to be a very dangerous event this year as the aforementioned incident followed a driver fatality. It was last week when Irishman Craig Breen crashed his Hyundai during testing at a pre-rally event, leading to his tragic death. Welshman Elfyn Evans, who won the Rally Croatia with a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid, held an Irish flag on the podium as a tribute to his colleague.
