Elfyn Evans and the entire GEMsport team have been left distraught following the accident on the Topaz Donegal International Rally at the weekend, which claimed the life of a spectator.
The incident occurred on the Carn Hill stage, near Letterkenny, on Saturday, when 18-year-old Richard O'Donnell, from Strabane, was knocked down by Elfyn's Ford Fiesta. Elfyn and co-driver Gareth Roberts both escaped uninjured and the 'initial indications are that there was no driver error involved'. For more information on the accident
click here.
A statement from the Welsh squad read:
"All GEMsport team members are naturally devastated by the incident involving one of its cars on the Donegal Rally on Saturday June 14 2008. Our thoughts are with the family and friends."
The organisers of the Fiesta SportingTrophy, the series in which Elfyn was competing, added that they were 'shocked and saddened to hear of this tragic accident'.
"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the spectator who died so tragically," continued the organisers of the FST in their own statement.
"The private team concerned [GEMsport] is cooperating fully with the Rally organisers in their investigation of the accident."
The event organisers meanwhile declared the result of the rally at the end of SS11, and so the fourth round of the FSTIE series was won by Alastair Fisher, with Adrian McBride second and Barry Greer third. Paul Quinn and Billy McCullins came in fourth and fifth. There were no other finishers in the FSTIE.
The next round of the Fiesta SportingTrophy Ireland will be the Ulster Rally on August 23, the penultimate event in the six-round championship.
