Heartbreaking: death toll on Sunday Hungarian rally accident rose – NEW VIDEO
A terrible car crash unfolded last Sunday during the 11th Eszergom-Nyerges Rally, claiming multiple lives as a car veered off the track and crashed into the crowd. Tragically, the casualty count rose yesterday.
Another tragic death on the 11th Eszergom-Nyerges Rally
Four individuals lost their lives when a Škoda Fabia R2 crashed into the crowd. Despite immediate medical attention, two men succumbed to their injuries on the scene.
Additionally, eight others sustained life-threatening injuries, including a young Hungarian girl, whose fight for survival continued until yesterday evening when Gyárfás Oláh, the former President of the National Automobile Sport Federation of Hungary, announced her tragic passing on his Facebook page.
According to telex.hu, seven more people were injured in the accident, with some still undergoing medical treatment in the hospital. The police are conducting an investigation, involving professionals.
We previously wrote HERE based on hirado.hu that the first news concerning the circumstances of the accident suggested that the victims were standing in a prohibited area, leading to the rally car striking them when the driver lost control. The police later confirmed this information.
Can the driver be held accountable?
The driver, János Tóth Jr, emerged uninjured from the accident. According to a lawyer who talked to telex.hu, the court is unlikely to hold him responsible as, being a racer, he does not fall under the classification of a regular road user. The law places the onus on the organisers to ensure spectator safety, prompting authorities to scrutinise their responsibilities as the primary focus of the ongoing legal proceedings.
Hungarian automotive forensic investigation expert Sándor Boncsér revealed that the vehicle collided with the crowd at a speed of 50-70 km/h, experiencing a momentary loss of stability prior to the crash. Although the driver attempted to regain control, the right wheels lifted off the ground, resulting in disparate adhesion between the two sides of the car and ultimately another loss of stability beyond the driver’s control. Boncsér provided a reconstruction of the events that may have transpired.
Rally organising regulations in Hungary under review
The manager of the organising club, Gábor B., received a one-year suspended prison sentence in 2013 following an incident at a rally in Városlőd, Veszprém County, where a Volkswagen Golf collided with spectators positioned in a restricted area.
Should Gábor B. be found culpable in this instance, he may face imprisonment and a ban on organising rallies.
Zoltán Szujó, President of the National Automobile Sport Federation of Hungary, expressed the need for a fundamental overhaul of regulations governing similar rallies in Hungary during an interview with Hír TV.
In the following video, footage from 0:37 shows you the tragic sequence of events:
Read also: