A spectator who strayed into an unauthorised area has suffered a broken femur after being hit by a truck competing in the Dakar Rally.
According to a statement from organisers of the event, the 60-year-old South African was watching from an ‘unsecured area’ around halfway into Stage 5 of the event, from Moquegua/Tacna to Arequipa.
He was struck by Russian Andrey Karginov of the leading Kamaz Master team and incurred a broken femur (upper leg bone).
Karginov had finished the day third in the general classification, having won Stages 3 and 4 of the event, but has been excluded for failing to stop and attend to the spectator.
His team-mate Eduard Nikolaev extended his overall lead in the Trucks division by winning the stage.
The 2019 Dakar resumes in Peru on Sunday (local time) after a rest day.
Full statement
At km 279 of the SS, a 60-year-old man from South Africa, who was watching the race in an unsecured area (outside of the established spectators zone), was hit by a race truck (#518 Andrey Karginov). The competitor was excluded from the rally by the jury of commissioners for not stopping to attend the injured spectator.
The injured man has a broken femur. The medical teams of the rally immediately took care of him and transported him to the airport of Ilo, from where he was airlifted to Arequipa.
The organization of the rally and the local authorities recall that it is mandatory for the public to respect the secured areas (spectator zones) set up jointly with the Peruvian organization and the local security forces.
Stage reports
CLICK HERE for Stage 5 report.
CLICK HERE for Stage 5 Bikes report.
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