Bogie wins accident hit Granite Rally

David Bogie took a dominant win on the Granite City Rally

Scotland's most talented young rally driver, David Bogie, continued his domination of the Scottish Rally Championship when he cruised to victory in Yesterday's Coltel Granite City Rally.

But the Inverurie-based event, the third round of the Scottish Championship, was marred by a sickening crash on the opening stage which injured three spectators.

As spectators rushed to aid the Nissan Micra driven by Rachel Medich after it veered into a ditch, the Peugeot of Simon Frazer Hay went off at exactly the same spot minutes later hitting a number of them.

Immediately the stage was closed and emergency services and rescue crews were sent into the stage. An ambulance was also dispatched immediately.

All three injured spectators — one a competitor in the Scottish Rally Championship, and all three members of one of Scotland's leading motorsport clubs — were treated at the scene before being taken to hospital. One of the spectators was airlifted by helicopter.

Rachel Medich, driving the Rally2Raise Micra, was involved in an
accident on the first stage.

"Obviously this is a sad incident, and our thoughts are with the injured spectators," Ian Shiells, Clerk of the Course, said. 

"Safety is always paramount in Scottish rallying, and we thank the rescue crews and medical staff for their swift response to the incident. Naturally our thoughts are with the injured spectators."

Bogie, winner of the opening two rounds in his Mitsubishi Evo IX, was again in imperious form winning all four of the stages which were contested today.

"It's fantastic to win again this year," the 24-year-old from Dumfries, who finished 33secs ahead the Ford World Rally Car of Duns-based Euan Thorburn, said afterwards.

"But today our thoughts are with the people who were injured in the incident earlier today. We're all thinking of them and their families, and we pray they recover fully from their injuries."

Coltel Granite City Rally — Results, Top 10 (Provisional):

1. David Bogie (Dumfries) / Kevin Rae (Hawick) Mitsubishi Evo IX 33mins 58secs;

2. Euan Thorburn (Duns) / Paul Beaton (Inverness) Ford Focus WRC +33secs;

3. Paul Benns (Cockermouth) / Daniel O'Brien (St Albans) Ford Focus WRC +1min 51secs;

4. Bruce McCombie (Banchory) / Michael Coutts (Torphins) Subaru Impreza +2:06s;

5. Donnie Macdonald (Inverness) / Andrew Falconer (Inverness) Mitsubishi Evo IX +2:08s;

6. Stephen Lockhart (Oban) / Kevin Lockhart (Mull) Mitsubishi Evo VII + 2:22s;

7. John McClory (Strathblane) / David Hood (Elderslie) Subaru Impreza N10 +2:32s;

8. Quintin Milne (Banchory) / Martin Forrest (Aberdeen) Mitsubishi Evo IX +2:40s;

9. Alistair Inglis (Edzell) /Colin Inglis (Edzell) Mitsubishi Evo V +2:45s;

10. Dougal Brown (Inverness) / Lewis Rochford (Inverness) Mitsubishi Evo IX +2:48s.


UPDATED : The organisers have since issued the following statement regarding the first stage incident...

"Our first thoughts are to pass on our best wishes to the four casualties who suffered injuries in the accident which took place on the opening stage of the rally: we hope they all make full recoveries.

"We are aware that two of the spectators suffered serious leg injuries: they have both undergone surgery and are today in a critical but stable condition.

"The third spectator is stable in hospital, while a fourth was detained overnight for observation.

"We are also very aware that a number of news stories issued by press agencies immediately following the incident inaccurately stated the rally had been cancelled.

"This was never the case: Stage 1 was immediately cancelled as soon as the accident happened and the rescue crews and medical services entered the stage.

"It was always the plan, once Stage 1 had been cancelled, to restart the rally on Stage 2.

"From information we have received from other spectators who were in the vicinity of the incident, we also know the competitors, and the marshals who were on duty at the scene, reacted correctly.

"Warnings — issued verbally by the marshals, and by blowing their whistles — alerted the spectators that rally cars were approaching the scene.

"Finally, as the incident is now part of an official police inquiry by Grampian Police, no further details or comments will be issued by the organising committee of the Coltel Granite City Rally."