Craig Breen

Just saw this on Motorsport.com.  Been a bit since there's been a fatality in the WRC.  

https://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/hyundai-driver-craig-breen-dies-in-wrc-testing-crash/10455819/

Aw man that sucks. Sounds like kind of a freak accident considering his codriver was unhurt.

The last driver I remember dying was McRae in a helicopter (?) crash. I don't think I remember any drivers dying in practice or a race. 

The last bad rally injury I can recall is Robert Kubica a while back.

One of the comments said he went wide in a 90 degree corner and hit a pole directly into the side of the car. Reminds me of the fatal Aston Martin GTE crash at Le Mans where the driver side hit the barrier at high speed sideways.

Really sad. Even though they've shifted the people closer to the centreline of the car in recent years a sideways hit into an unyielding object has got to be the worst.

Kiwi Dr Rodger Freeth was killed in a similar accident in Australia while co-driving with the late Possum Bourne in a Works Subaru. Early 90's IIRC.

j_tso said:

The last bad rally injury I can recall is Robert Kubica a while back.

One of the comments said he went wide in a 90 degree corner and hit a pole directly into the side of the car. Reminds me of the fatal Aston Martin GTE crash at Le Mans where the driver side hit the barrier at high speed sideways.

That was Allan Simonsen, he really hit a tree with a bit of barrier on it.

Breen was a wheel man. His last WRC Rally showed his greatness.

From the BBC coverage of Rally Sweden:
"The Waterford man [Breen] was given a 10-second penalty for a late check-in before one of Sunday's stages - seemingly following team orders - but Neuville lost time on the final stage which saw Breen finish the rally 1.8 seconds ahead of the Belgian."

More on Breen from WRC:

https://www.wrc.com/en/news/2023/wrc/craig-breen-a-champion-on-and-away-from-the-stages/

j_tso said:

The last bad rally injury I can recall is Robert Kubica a while back.

One of the comments said he went wide in a 90 degree corner and hit a pole directly into the side of the car. Reminds me of the fatal Aston Martin GTE crash at Le Mans where the driver side hit the barrier at high speed sideways.

That's what I was thinking had to have happened given that his co-driver came out unscathed....or at least relatively.