Tragedy in East Coast Targa

[BJAY]

http://www.racenews.com.au/?racenews=12542

Condolences to his family.

[1200Datto27]

They just had a more detailed report on the news, It looks like the RHR wheel failed for some reason just as the driver was trying to negotiate a fast left hand bend just past the bridge. There are a couple of very nasty looking bumps that unsttle the car just prior to the bridge, but the wheel is intact at that point, so it is possible that the car has been bounced into an impact with the bridge, damaging the wheel and causing it to fail quite majorly.

The driver passed away post crash of a heart attack, and the co-driver is in hospital with serious injuries, including spinal damage.

[louonline]

The injuries to the co-driver were not as bad as first thought, he was to be released from hospital this afternoon.

[oziengineer]

It's really sad, but what is incredible is that co driver only suffered bruising, but the driver died. Very nasty looking crash though.

[1200Datto27]

Both the driver and co-driver survived the crash, and had gotten themselves out of the car before the rescue teams arrived. The driver then suffered a massive heart attack, that lead to his passing away.

He was only 32.

[PVDA]

Fatal accident at East Coast Targa Rally (Update 2)
CAMS Statement
30 Oct 2004

A motor sport competitor died yesterday morning in an accident during the East Coast Targa motor rally near Bathurst, New South Wales.

The deceased driver is Douglas Briese, age 32, from Victoria.

The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) will conduct a full investigation into the incident. In the meantime, CAMS and event officials are working with the relevant civil authorities.

On behalf of the motor sport community, CAMS offers its sincere sympathy to the families and friends involved.

CAMS has mobilised its chaplaincy and counselling services for the relatives of the deceased and injured competitors and for competitors and officials involved in the event.

CAMS may issue additional statements as further information becomes available for release.

[GTRMagic]

Very sad... if you turn to page 74 in Motorsport News this week, you will see Mr Briese only recently won the AROCA/MSCA 6 hour with a group of likeminded Porscheophiles.....

Condolences to the family... it is very sad

[Bruce Moxon]

While it's incredibly sad, it's a worry that the Police feel the need to start such a big investigation - there were shots on the TV news of the Police photographer getting pix of bits of debris and stuff.

Cars crash in motor sport - nobody tries to make it happen (well, not usually) but it happens anyway. The real result of this big reaction is that it (whisper it) brings the sport into disrepute.

So, can CAMS take action against the media, the Police, the organisers? No, so they have to have their own investigation.

And really, the guy had a heart attack. Whose fault is that? Nobody's, that's who. So why investigate? If he'd had the same heart attack as a result of a traffic accident, everyone (except his family and friends) would be shrugging their shoulders.

Let's face it, the Police hate it that motorsport has found a way of going fast without their being the opportunity for the Police to get in the way. So every time something like this happens, they get out the tape measures and the cameras.

Same thing happened with the guy getting killed at Eastern Creek and when Mike Burgmann died. For Christ's sake, they laid charges over the Eastern Creek thing. Nobody held a gun to the heads of any of these people - they put themselves in harm's way.

And he'll have signed something very like this:

http://www.cams.com.au/downloads/eve...claimer-12.rtf

And maybe the thread title should be 'Driver dies after exiting East Coast Targa.'



Bruce Moxon

[jetsetter]

I'd like to offer my condolences to his family & friends. The most shocking thing for me about the accident was that he didn't die from the accident but as a result of a severe heart attack at just 32 years of age.

[ff s conscience]

It's a touchy subject but the true cause of the heart attack must be found. It could be internal injuries from the crash...how soon we forget Stuart McColl

[CooperS79]

Has the cause of Stuart McColls crash ever been found?

[Hapul]

oziengineer - "Fortune favours the brave" ?????????

[PVDA]

Bruce, who determined the driver had a heart attack?

Until the coroner has had time to look at the facts of the case including the police report it has to be treated the same as a fatal road crash, after all it occurred on a public road.

I wish at these times people who post on these forums would stick to the known facts or not make assumptions as to what may have happened.

It is a difficult enough time for the family and friends of the people involved without the rumours that seem to spring from various sources at these times filtering through to them.

[harderfaster]

Originally posted by Bruce Moxon
While it's incredibly sad, it's a worry that the Police feel the need to start such a big investigation - there were shots on the TV news of the Police photographer getting pix of bits of debris and stuff.

Cars crash in motor sport - nobody tries to make it happen (well, not usually) but it happens anyway. The real result of this big reaction is that it (whisper it) brings the sport into disrepute.

So, can CAMS take action against the media, the Police, the organisers? No, so they have to have their own investigation.

And really, the guy had a heart attack. Whose fault is that? Nobody's, that's who. So why investigate? If he'd had the same heart attack as a result of a traffic accident, everyone (except his family and friends) would be shrugging their shoulders.

Let's face it, the Police hate it that motorsport has found a way of going fast without their being the opportunity for the Police to get in the way. So every time something like this happens, they get out the tape measures and the cameras.

Same thing happened with the guy getting killed at Eastern Creek and when Mike Burgmann died. For Christ's sake, they laid charges over the Eastern Creek thing. Nobody held a gun to the heads of any of these people - they put themselves in harm's way.

And he'll have signed something very like this:

http://www.cams.com.au/downloads/eve...claimer-12.rtf

And maybe the thread title should be 'Driver dies after exiting East Coast Targa.'



Bruce Moxon

Bruce, I have never heard such a load of uneducated dribble from someone who calls themself a "part-time motorsport journalist".

How do you think insurance policies to Doug's family will be be paid without a police investigation?

How will the organisers be cleared, or (hopefully not)prosecuted for any wrong doing without a police investigation?

Also, FYI, police will also investigate an accident outside your home if the driver of the vehicle has suffered a cardiac arrest... they won't simply shrug their sholders as you put it.

Bruce, accidents are investigated to ensure that events are run in the safest possible environment and to help prevent them from happening again.

[jetsetter]

It's an unfortunate part of the sport but if there's a fatal accident then the police must hold an investigation same as if it were a traffic accident, the police definately don't like attending & investigating fatal accidents.

[Crash Test]

I'm just a bit worried about what the Police will wind up doing. Was it the NSW police that wanted all motor racing on public roads to have safety fences the whole way around the course, including rallies? The thing is, that this is the second motorsport fatality on NSW roads in the past month or so. Two totally different and unfortunate events, but I just hope that someone in power doesn't go and do a mickey flip and over react...

[Bruce Moxon]

My point is that Police, by nature, training and due to their environment, will be looking for someone to blame.

And reports are that the driver got himself out of the car and died some short time later as a result of a heart attack.

And I think the word you're looking for is 'drivel'.

I still say if he'd had a heart attack playing golf, tennis or hide the sauceage, there would be nowhere near this level of investigation.

I'm not trying to belittle the tragedy, I'm concerned that the usual over-reaction of the 'authorites' will make our sport even harder to do than it is now.


Bruce Moxon

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by Bruce Moxon
My point is that Police, by nature, training and due to their environment, will be looking for someone to blame.

And reports are that the driver got himself out of the car and died some short time later as a result of a heart attack.

And I think the word you're looking for is 'drivel'.

I still say if he'd had a heart attack playing golf, tennis or hide the sauceage, there would be nowhere near this level of investigation.

I'm not trying to belittle the tragedy, I'm concerned that the usual over-reaction of the 'authorites' will make our sport even harder to do than it is now.


Bruce Moxon

Bruce I think you have probably flogged this dead horse enough. Police investigate to find the CAUSE of the accident (if charges are warranted then so be it).

Don't forget that foul play must always be ruled out as well...

[aj_308]

so do they do that if someone dies on a golf course?

[1200Datto27]

Yep, they do to a point. The coroner will be involved, if only to confirm cause of death.

[Matthew Ronke]

Our thoughts go out to Doug's family and freinds. Doug competed in the MSCA Winton Six Hour with the Fuchs Porsche Team 2 a few weeks ago.

Here is a photo of him action. Doug Briese

[PVDA]

Originally posted by Bruce Moxon

And reports are that the driver got himself out of the car and died some short time later as a result of a heart attack.

The question is who's report are you commenting on? The coroner, the police, the event medical team or some spectator who may have been on the crash scene who has no medical experience what so ever.

There are a hell of a lot of medicial conditions that look like a heart attack to a layman BUT could've been caused by the collision (this is from friends of mine in the medical profession with motor sport experience). As I said we will need to wait for the coroner's report

I'm being very cafeful what I say publicly at times like this and I think you all should do the same..................