YOUNG people in Stirling will have the chance to create banners and flags for an upcoming major cycling event with free summer art workshops.

The art workshops will be held in communities along the route for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships as the build up for the event gains momentum.

Stirling will stage the Individual Time Trials from August 9 to August 11 with young people given the opportunity to design banners and signs to wave as the world’s best cyclists pass by during three days of thrilling racing.

Council leader Chris Kane said: “This is going to be the biggest sporting event in Stirling’s history and it’s incredibly exciting that we’re just over a month away until the action gets underway on August 9.

“These free workshops will be a great opportunity for our young people to learn about the races passing through their communities in a fun and creative environment.

“By hosting these world-class events we want to encourage more people of all ages to take up cycling and get more active and it would be fantastic to see Stirling’s children and young people lining the routes in August to get inspired by the power of the bike.”

The drop-in workshops are open to children aged 5-14 and will be supported by artists from Creative Stirling and GOSSIP Collective, with some part of the council’s Play in the Park events.

There will be a workshop in Fintry on July 12 as part of the Play in the Park event that is being held at Fintry Sports Club Grounds from 11am to 3pm.

Cambusbarron will be next from July 17, at the same times, in the King George Play Area.

Kippen will follow on July 26 from 10am to 12noon at Kippen Reading Rooms.

Gragunnock Community Centre will also host a workshop on the same day, from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

The workshops will move to Raploch Community Campus on July 27 from 10am to 12noon and thereafter to the Tolbooth Attic from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

Again as part of Play in the Park, there will be a workshop at Thornhill Play Area on August 4 from 11am to 3pm.

Covering up to 48km of roads, the Individual Time Trials will see riders set off from the King’s Knot in the shadow of Stirling Castle, before heading out west into the countryside and looping back into Stirling’s historic city centre, with a sprint through the city to the finish on the castle esplanade.

Allan’s Primary is based in the heart of Stirling’s historic city centre with riders passing the school on their way to the sprint finish at the castle.

Lindsey Howland, headteacher at Allan’s PS, said: “We are delighted that our school will feature in the final sprint finish to the castle which will share the heart of Stirling to audiences across the world.

“Cycling is a firm favourite in our school as we continue to promote and develop our children’s love of cycling through the Bikeability and Play on Pedals initiatives and the children are really excited about the events coming to Stirling in August.”

Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times at the banner making workshops.

https://www.alloaadvertiser.com/news/forth_valley/23617550.free-art-workshops-ahead-major-cycling-event-stirling/

On 27/06/2023 04:41 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> YOUNG people in Stirling will have the chance to create banners and flags for an upcoming major cycling event with free summer art workshops.

Well, there wouldn't be much point in trying to charge for it.

It'd be like a pub landlord trying to charge for a pint of cold water on
a hot summer's day when a horde of chavs have just come in on their
chav-bikes, led by a spokesman called "May Sun" who quotes a
centuries-old Act which (he says) means that hostelries MUST provide
free water to "customers"...

QUOTE: Stirling will stage the Individual Time Trials from August 9 to August 11 with young people given the opportunity to design banners and signs to wave as the world’s best cyclists pass by during three days of thrilling racing. ENDS

"Racing" in the land of the forest stage car rally countryside - how apt.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: Stirling will stage the Individual Time Trials from August 9 to
> August 11 with young people given the opportunity to design banners and
> signs to wave as the world’s best cyclists pass by during three days of
> thrilling racing. ENDS
>
> "Racing" in the land of the forest stage car rally countryside - how apt.

I can think of a banner design…the second word is “OFF”

--
Spike

On Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 5:37:08 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> QUOTE: Stirling will stage the Individual Time Trials from August 9 to August 11 with young people given the opportunity to design banners and signs to wave as the world’s best cyclists pass by during three days of thrilling racing. ENDS
>
> "Racing" in the land of the forest stage car rally countryside - how apt.

Mind you, these races come with risks impossible with young cyclists:
QUOTE:

A rally driver has told an inquiry how his car crashed into spectators during a race in Inverness, killing a 51-year-old woman.

Graeme Schoneville, 31, was speaking during an inquiry into the deaths of four motor sport fans at two separate rallies in Scotland.

Joy Robson died of multiple injuries sustained at the Snowman rally in Inverness in 2013. Iain Provan, 64, Elizabeth Allan, 63, and Len Stern, 71, were killed the following year when a car ploughed into them at the Jim Clark rally near Coldstream in the Scottish Borders.

In the first day of evidence at Edinburgh sheriff court, Schoneville, from Lanarkshire, told how the car he was driving spun out of control into spectators near a hairpin bend.

“We came to a corner and the road surface changed and the car began to slide, which was OK because we’ve experienced that plenty of times,” he said. “As I tried to correct the slide the car then swung in the other direction and impacted a rock.”

Schoneville said all he could remember of the moment of the crash was “a loud bang” from the back left of the Honda Civic he and his co-driver were in before the car somersaulted in the air. “I can remember it rolling just by seeing the sky, then dark, then the sky,” he said.

Robson, a nursery teacher from Portree, Skye, was killed when the car landed upright on its wheels on top of her. An eight-year-old boy was also treated in hospital for injuries.

Schoneville and his navigator were both wearing a helmets and safety belts and escaped unhurt.

“Immediately after the crash, the car landing, [we were] aware of a lot of people round about the car and we could obviously see a commotion and we knew that somebody was potentially under the car,” he said.

Schoneville began rallying in 2006, but told the court that despite doing “bits and bobs” since the crash it had never felt the same.

Giving evidence, Michael Hossack, 36, who had been standing next to Robson at the event, said that after a car came very close to them he and his wife had decided to move up the road to a safer spot. “I said to my wife that I didn’t like that area,” he said, explaining that car tyres were churning up the road and making the course “slidier and slidier”.

The inquiry, which is expected to last several weeks, will examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and aims to “help to avoid such incidents happening in the future”. The decision to hold a joint fatal accident inquiry was announced in December, though Scotland’s Crown Office said there would be no criminal proceedings in relation to either event unless new evidence came to light.

Evidence will be heard about the accident at the Jim Clark rally in May 2014 in the coming weeks. Provan, his partner, Allan, and Stern were fatally injured when a car spun off the course. Six others were injured after two accidents within two hours on the course in the Duns and Kelso areas. The Jim Clark rally has been suspended until the completion of the inquiry.

On 27/06/2023 06:37 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> On Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 5:37:08 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

>> QUOTE: Stirling will stage the Individual Time Trials from August 9 to August 11 with young people given the opportunity to design banners and signs to wave as the world’s best cyclists pass by during three days of thrilling racing. ENDS
>>
>> "Racing" in the land of the forest stage car rally countryside - how apt.
>
> Mind you, these races come with risks impossible with young cyclists:
> QUOTE:
>
> A rally driver has told an inquiry how his car crashed into spectators during a race in Inverness, killing a 51-year-old woman.
>
> Graeme Schoneville, 31, was speaking during an inquiry into the deaths of four motor sport fans at two separate rallies in Scotland.
>
> Joy Robson died of multiple injuries sustained at the Snowman rally in Inverness in 2013. Iain Provan, 64, Elizabeth Allan, 63, and Len Stern, 71, were killed the following year when a car ploughed into them at the Jim Clark rally near Coldstream in the Scottish Borders.
>
> In the first day of evidence at Edinburgh sheriff court, Schoneville, from Lanarkshire, told how the car he was driving spun out of control into spectators near a hairpin bend.
>
> “We came to a corner and the road surface changed and the car began to slide, which was OK because we’ve experienced that plenty of times,” he said. “As I tried to correct the slide the car then swung in the other direction and impacted a rock.”
>
> Schoneville said all he could remember of the moment of the crash was “a loud bang” from the back left of the Honda Civic he and his co-driver were in before the car somersaulted in the air. “I can remember it rolling just by seeing the sky, then dark, then the sky,” he said.
>
> Robson, a nursery teacher from Portree, Skye, was killed when the car landed upright on its wheels on top of her. An eight-year-old boy was also treated in hospital for injuries.
>
> Schoneville and his navigator were both wearing a helmets and safety belts and escaped unhurt.
>
> “Immediately after the crash, the car landing, [we were] aware of a lot of people round about the car and we could obviously see a commotion and we knew that somebody was potentially under the car,” he said.
>
> Schoneville began rallying in 2006, but told the court that despite doing “bits and bobs” since the crash it had never felt the same.
>
> Giving evidence, Michael Hossack, 36, who had been standing next to Robson at the event, said that after a car came very close to them he and his wife had decided to move up the road to a safer spot. “I said to my wife that I didn’t like that area,” he said, explaining that car tyres were churning up the road and making the course “slidier and slidier”.
>
> The inquiry, which is expected to last several weeks, will examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and aims to “help to avoid such incidents happening in the future”. The decision to hold a joint fatal accident inquiry was announced in December, though Scotland’s Crown Office said there would be no criminal proceedings in relation to either event unless new evidence came to light.
>
> Evidence will be heard about the accident at the Jim Clark rally in May 2014 in the coming weeks. Provan, his partner, Allan, and Stern were fatally injured when a car spun off the course. Six others were injured after two accidents within two hours on the course in the Duns and Kelso areas. The Jim Clark rally has been suspended until the completion of the inquiry.

*All* racing of all types (including racing given the hypocritical name
"time-trialling") on highways or other public land should be banned.

It really couldn't be more straightforward.

An inquiry into the deaths of three spectators at a car rally in the Scottish Borders has found that they should have been warned by organisers not to stand where they were hit.

The fatal accident inquiry (FAI) has concluded there was a "weak, ambiguous and inadequate" system for checking the warnings to people of unsafe vantage points at the Jim Clark Rally in May 2014.

The three spectators who died were 64-year-old Iain Provan, his partner Elizabeth Allan, 63, and 71-year-old Len Stern.

They were hit when a vehicle, with Irish driver David Carney at the wheel, skidded off the road and ploughed into the crowd.

The FAI also examined the death of 51-year-old Joy Robson at the Highland Snowman Rally bear Inverness in 2013. She was hit by a vehicle after it left the track.

In her case, Sheriff Kenneth MacIver concluded: "There are no reasonable precautions which I can identify whereby Mrs Robson's death or the accident causing her death could have been avoided."

In the case of the Jim Clark Rally, the sheriff found that the spot where the three spectators were killed should have been identified, in line with the organisers plan, so that it clearly prohibited spectators from standing anywhere near.

In his determination, he said the deaths were down to "no single person and no single circumstance" but was due to a "perfect storm" of circumstances.

He found that there had been an "unlikely coincidence" of errors and omissions in the event's organisation which had created a "perfect storm" that led to a disastrous consequence.

Andrew Henderson, the solicitor representing Joy Robson's said: "For Joy's children this was never about trying to stop rallying but rather to improve safety for the spectators.

"They always believed that the best way to do this was through the FAI process so that evidence could be properly evaluated and recommendations made.

"This is a very difficult time for them but they are absolutely resolute in their wish that no other family should ever go through the horror they have and that rallying is made as safe for its fans as it can possibly be."

https://news.sky.com/story/rally-death-spectators-not-warned-by-organisers-inquiry-finds-11137073

Scraping the bottom:

“…at the Jim Clark Rally in May 2014”

Nine years ago!

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> An inquiry into the deaths of three spectators at a car rally in the
> Scottish Borders has found that they should have been warned by
> organisers not to stand where they were hit.

<snip>

> https://news.sky.com/story/rally-death-spectators-not-warned-by-organisers-inquiry-finds-11137073

--
Spike

A 19-year-old boy was killed and five people were seriously injured today when a rally car driver spun out of control during a race.

Shocking footage shows the driver careering around a corner before veering off the track and flying through the air towards spectators of the Rallye des Cardabelles in the south of France.

The 19-year-old boy died on the spot while a 17-year-old boy had to be flown by air ambulance to a hospital in Toulouse in a serious condition.

The driver, named by local media as Jean-Charles Beaubelique, 47, was coming out of a hairpin bend as he spun out of control and seemed to fly through the air.

The spectators who were injured had been standing in a forbidden spot next to the track. The French Motor Sports Federation said in the early afternoon that the rally was cancelled.

A spokesman told Midi Libre: 'The organisation has decided to stop the rally so that all necessary means are provided to the victims.

'The FFSA extends its deepest condolences to the family as well as to the relatives of the victim.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7566365/Tragic-moment-rally-driver-loses-control-just-killing-teenage-fan.html

20:24, 12 Oct 2019 , updated 20:24, 12 Oct 2019:

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> A 19-year-old boy was killed and five people were seriously injured today
> when a rally car driver spun out of control during a race.

<snip>

> https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7566365/Tragic-moment-rally-driver-loses-control-just-killing-teenage-fan.html

--
Spike

On 27/06/2023 08:12 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>
> An inquiry into the deaths of three spectators at a car rally in the Scottish Borders has found that they should have been warned by organisers not to stand where they were hit.
>
> The fatal accident inquiry (FAI) has concluded there was a "weak, ambiguous and inadequate" system for checking the warnings to people of unsafe vantage points at the Jim Clark Rally in May 2014.
>
> The three spectators who died were 64-year-old Iain Provan, his partner Elizabeth Allan, 63, and 71-year-old Len Stern.
>
> They were hit when a vehicle, with Irish driver David Carney at the wheel, skidded off the road and ploughed into the crowd.
>
> The FAI also examined the death of 51-year-old Joy Robson at the Highland Snowman Rally bear Inverness in 2013. She was hit by a vehicle after it left the track.
>
> In her case, Sheriff Kenneth MacIver concluded: "There are no reasonable precautions which I can identify whereby Mrs Robson's death or the accident causing her death could have been avoided."
>
> In the case of the Jim Clark Rally, the sheriff found that the spot where the three spectators were killed should have been identified, in line with the organisers plan, so that it clearly prohibited spectators from standing anywhere near.
>
> In his determination, he said the deaths were down to "no single person and no single circumstance" but was due to a "perfect storm" of circumstances.
>
> He found that there had been an "unlikely coincidence" of errors and omissions in the event's organisation which had created a "perfect storm" that led to a disastrous consequence.
>
> Andrew Henderson, the solicitor representing Joy Robson's said: "For Joy's children this was never about trying to stop rallying but rather to improve safety for the spectators.
>
> "They always believed that the best way to do this was through the FAI process so that evidence could be properly evaluated and recommendations made.
>
> "This is a very difficult time for them but they are absolutely resolute in their wish that no other family should ever go through the horror they have and that rallying is made as safe for its fans as it can possibly be."
>
> https://news.sky.com/story/rally-death-spectators-not-warned-by-organisers-inquiry-finds-11137073

Ban ALL racing on the highway - no matter what the pretext.

Sorted.

A rally driver has died and another is in hospital following a crash on the Isle of Mull yesterday.

Andy Mort, 47, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

John MacCrone, 26, suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

The men were participating in the annual Mull Rally, which sees 150 cars take part in high-speed stages over three days.

MacCrone, from Mull, was driving and Mort, who was also from the island, was his co-driver.

Two drivers were also taken to hospital on Friday after a crash, according to a statement on the event’s official Facebook page.

It said: “Tommy Graham and co-driver Mike Bailey involved in big crash on SS2 in their Mitsubishi Evo. Both being taken to hospital for checks.. Driver complaining of a sore shoulder, co-driver ok.

“But it was a big crash: rolled 4 or 5 times, landed on roof on the road and blocked the stage.”

Shortly after the fatal crash on Saturday, organisers announced that the weekend event had been abandoned.

Road policing officers are investigating the incident, which happened shortly after 1pm.

They have asked spectators to hand over mobile phone footage of the crash.

Sergeant Archie McGuire of Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Divisional Road Policing Unit, who is leading the inquiry, said: “For the spectators and participants of the annual Mull Rally, this has been a desperately saddening event. We are working closely with the event organisers in investigating the incident.

“Specialist officers are at the scene and have begun the process of determining the circumstances which have led to this crash.

“We thank those who have been in contact with police at the scene to pass on information and to give statements. We would ask for anyone else who has not yet given a statement to contact officers at the Road Policing Unit at Dumbarton on the 101 number. We would be grateful to receive any mobile phone footage that spectators may have as part of our ongoing enquiries.”

In a statement, the Motor Sports Association said: “As with any serious incident in or around UK motor sports, the MSA is now working with the event organisers and relevant authorities to establish precisely what happened on this occasion.

“The MSA is saddened by this tragic incident and sends its condolences to the family and friends of the co-driver, and offers its best wishes to the driver for a full recovery.”

The Scottish Government ordered a review of motorsport event safety after the deaths of three spectators at the Jim Clark Rally in 2014.

Iain Provan, 64; Elizabeth Allan, 63; and Len Stern, 71, died at the event in the Borders after a car veered off the road.

A spectator was also killed at the Snowman Rally in the Highlands in 2013. Joy Robson, 50, of Skye died and an eight-year-old boy was injured.

The review’s recommendations included the introduction of a mandatory marshal licensing scheme, new rules on assisting cars back onto the road, improved communication with spectators and the adoption of international standards for identifying low, medium and high risk spectator areas.

21:51, Sat, Oct 10, 2015
UPDATED: 22:01, Sat, Oct 10, 2015

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> A rally driver has died and another is in hospital following a crash on
> the Isle of Mull yesterday.

> Andy Mort, 47, was pronounced dead at the scene

<snip>

--
Spike

The driver of a rally car involved in a crash which killed three people broke down as he told an inquiry he saw a woman 'flying in the air'.

David Carney, 29, from Ireland, said he lost control of the vehicle after going over a bridge and then realised he was heading towards spectators.

He said he no longer rallies, and more than three years on from the crash "every time I close my eyes at night I still see three people lying in the road".

He was giving evidence at a fatal accident inquiry examining the deaths of photographer Iain Provan, 64, his partner Betty Allan, 63, and Len Stern, 71, at the Jim Clark Rally near Coldstream in the Scottish Borders in May 2014, as well as the death of Joy Robson, 51, at the Snowman Rally in Glenurquhart in the Highlands the previous year.

Mr Carney told Edinburgh Sheriff Court he had been an amateur rally driver since 2008, competing in races at home and overseas, and had driven the Jim Clark Rally in 2013.

He said his vehicle had come off the road during the rally the day before the crash on May 31 and hit a tree.

Mr Carney said it had been repaired by his team of engineers then undergone further repairs on the day of the crash as the rear had felt unusual during the morning stages.

He said once those repairs had been carried out the car "felt perfect", and he had expected to go over the bridge with no problems.

The court was shown photos of the car landing and swerving to the left, then right.

Mr Carney said: "I steered into the slide but the car just kept coming. It seemed to just go that quick, I couldn't catch it."

He told the police in a statement: "I knew at this time I was a passenger as I had the steering wheel fully locked and I couldn't do anything else."

He told the court: "The car continued to turn round 180 degrees while sliding back off the road."

Andrew Brown QC, for the Crown, asked him: "Were you aware that the car was heading towards spectators?"

Mr Carney became emotional as he replied: "Only when I looked after I knew the car was gone.

"I grabbed my helmet and started shouting 'no, no, no'. I knew I had lost control at that point.

"It didn't seem real at first. I remember seeing dust and a woman flying in the air."

He said there was "disbelief" after the car came to a stop and he got out to see if he could help the people lying on the ground.

He said: "I went over to someone who was getting up from all fours and someone was running down to them. I said sorry.

"I wanted to try and help in some way but I didn't know how."

Mr Carney said he "couldn't figure out" why the car had crashed.

The inquiry heard from official reports stating there were no defects on the car and concluding the crash at 81mph was likely to be either due to the car going too fast for the driver's ability, not being aligned to a slight deviation to the right on landing, not landing in proper alignment or a combination of these factors.

Mr Carney said he did not believe he had been going too fast, and added: "It seemed to be okay from the moment we left the bridge to the split second we landed and then it just went."

Earlier on Thursday, marshal Tom Roger, 27, told the inquiry the crash site was a like a "war zone".

He said if he had known people were standing in the area before the crash he would have stopped the cars, but he had been standing further along the road out of sight of the area.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> The driver of a rally car involved in a crash which killed three people
> broke down as he told an inquiry he saw a woman 'flying in the air'.

Article produced without attribution from:

<https://m.independent.ie/news/rally-driver-recalls-moment-woman-flew-through-air-as-car-crashed/36019891.html>

--
Spike

Co-driver to her husband, Duncan Cameron in a Peugeot 205 Rallye, Susan Cameron, 46, was fatally injured on Friday, 10 October 2003 night in an accident which happened during the 34th Philips Tour of Mull Rally in Scotland, when their car left the road above Kilbrennan, near Torloisk, and hit a tree..

It happened at around 22h30, shortly after the start of the third stage of the rally, on the island of Mull's narrow and winding roads of Calgary Bay, in western Scotland. The driver Duncan Cameron, 45, was unhurt. Emergency services attended the scene, but paramedics could not save Susan Cameron's life.

A resident of Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Susan Cameron, née Harrott, was pronounced dead at the scene at 00h15 on Saturday, 11 October 2003. An experienced rally co-driver, she guided her husband in rallies in UK and abroad, since the 1980s. The couple had won many trophies, including two consecutive class victories in the Rallye National du Touquet in France, in 2001 and 2002.

Almost 150 cars and drivers from all over the UK were entered in the three-day Tour of Mull Rally, organised by the 2300 Club of Blackburn in Lancashire. It was a round of the 2003 Scottish Tarmac rally Championship. After the tragedy, the remaining four stages of the first leg of the tour were canceled. It was Duncan Cameron’s wish that the rally continued the next day. Winners of the rally were Calum Duffy-Delicon Duffy in a Ford Escort MK2 RS.

Susan Cameron was reported to be the first fatality that marred the Tour of Mull Rally in its 34 editions. A second fatal accident occurred in 2015, claiming the life of co-driver Andy Mort.

One year after his wife's death, Duncan Cameron bravely came back to compete in rallies, finishing 30th in the 2004 Tour of Mull Rally, with Andy Bull as co-driver in his Peugeot 205 Rallye.

Do you really think you are bringing any comfort at all to the friends and
relatives of the deceased by dragging up this 20-year-old tragedy?

Or in true sociopathic style, don’t you care about them?

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> Co-driver to her husband, Duncan Cameron in a Peugeot 205 Rallye, Susan
> Cameron, 46, was fatally injured on Friday, 10 October 2003 night in an
> accident which happened during the 34th Philips Tour of Mull Rally in
> Scotland, when their car left the road above Kilbrennan, near Torloisk, and hit a tree.
>

--
Spike

On 28/06/2023 09:29 am, Spike wrote:

> 21:51, Sat, Oct 10, 2015
> UPDATED: 22:01, Sat, Oct 10, 2015
>
> swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
>> A rally driver has died and another is in hospital following a crash on
>> the Isle of Mull yesterday.
>
>> Andy Mort, 47, was pronounced dead at the scene
>
> <snip>

I was going to remark upon the name, but decided against it because it
would be in terrible taste.

You know, the sort of thing May Sun would mention.

A Scottish stock car racer who had been drinking killed a Royal Navy veteran before fleeing the scene.

Marc Fortune, 28, was behind the wheel of his 4x4 pick up when he ploughed into the back of a Vauxhall Meriva driven by John King. The 63 year-old's car was forced off the road and ended up spinning down an embankment on the A92 near Cowdenbeath in Fife.

John - who had served in the Royal Navy for 25 years - never survived the crash on September 12 2020, as the Daily Record reports.

A young boy and a baby in the motor were also hurt, but luckily survived. Fortune - who had earlier been spotted swigging vodka at a stock car meeting - drove off later telling a friend: "My mum is going to kill me."

A judge heard it was instead the "remarkable courage" of the boy injured in the crash who brought the emergency services to the scene late at night. First offender Fortune now faces a lengthy jail-term after he today pled guilty to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Prosecutor Richard Goddard KC told how Fortune was involved in racing stock cars mainly at a track in Lochgelly, Fife. He had been there on the night of the incident as a spectator.

Mr Goddard told the High Court in Glasgow: "He was seen to take a full sized bottle of vodka from the passenger seat of his Mitsubishi Barbarian L200. He was seen to pinch his nose and drink 'a good few mouthfuls'.

Fortune was described as if he was "tipsy". Despite this, he later drove off in his 4x4 and headed on the A92. John meantime was on the same road on the way to collect a relative from work.

One child was in the front passenger seat with the younger in a baby seat in the back. John was in the inside lane when he was suddenly struck at the back by Fortune's vehicle.

This caused the Vauxhall to spin, hit a barrier and then hurtle through the air before rolling down an embankment. Mr Goddard: "The offside doors burst open and the roof as well as the rear of the vehicle were severely damaged."

It was estimated Fortune had been travelling "at a speed in excess" of the 70mph John was said to be going at. Instead of stopping to help, Fortune instead carried on for half a mile before locking and abandoning his 4x4.

He initially got a woman to collect him claiming he had crashed his car, but did not want to talk about it. Fortune then called a friend to drive him later stating to him: "My mum is going to kill me - I just hit it. They locked up the brakes and I just hit it."

The court heard that the older boy meantime managed to clamber out of the wrecked Vauxhall. Mr Goddard: "With remarkable courage and presence of mind, he dialled 999. He was highly distressed, but able to remain on the phone and describe the road he had travelled to allow the emergency services to locate him.

"He was able to describe the condition of (John) and the other child. Towards the end of the call, he approached the road and used his mobile phone torch to successfully guide police."

John, of Ballingry, Fife, was found still in the car, but unresponsive. The baby was upside down in his baby seat. Attempts were made to save John, but he never recovered from head, neck and chest injuries.

Both children suffered cuts and remained in hospital overnight. Police found Fortune's 4x4 and he was traced to his father's home in Kirknewton, Midlothian the next morning.

He had to be woken from his bed and still appeared under the influence of alcohol. He claimed to have left the Mitsubishi parked at the racetrack and that his cousin had given him a lift home. Police checked out his claims, but found he was lying.

They later returned and Fortune was breathalysed. He was found to have 75mg (sic) of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22mg (sic). Fortune stated he had drunk three vodka and cokes before officers had come back.

The court heard John is survived by his wife of 34 years as well as five brothers, two stepchildren and five grandchildren. It was also stated the boy in the crash remains badly affected, but that there have been "small improvements" in him.

Fortune was remanded in custody as sentencing was deferred for reports.

JNugent <jnugent@mail.com> wrote:
> On 28/06/2023 09:29 am, Spike wrote:
>> 21:51, Sat, Oct 10, 2015

>> UPDATED: 22:01, Sat, Oct 10, 2015

>> swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

>>> A rally driver has died and another is in hospital following a crash on
>>> the Isle of Mull yesterday.

>>> Andy Mort, 47, was pronounced dead at the scene

>> <snip>

> I was going to remark upon the name, but decided against it because it
> would be in terrible taste.
>
> You know, the sort of thing May Sun would mention.

Quite, I did the same.

I wonder if May Sun has any grasp of the connection?

--
Spike

Two teenagers have been killed in a tragic accident after a rally car came off the road and crashed into spectators during a competition in Belgium.

The annual Rallye Condroz-Huy race was abandoned in devastating circumstances after a 16-year-old girl and 18-year-old man died following a crash near the town of Wanze in Liege. Spectators were watching the Belgian Rally Series roadside, and the teenagers were killed after a car veered off the road and crashed in slippery conditions on Sunday.

A statement published on the rally competition's website has since confirmed the details of the tragic accident: "The car veered off the road and hit a small parapet before rolling onto its side, hitting a group of spectators who were in an area prohibited to the public."

Organisers said the two teenagers died despite 'very rapid intervention of the emergency services'.

A competitor and one other person was taken to hospital after the accident, but were not in a critical condition, the rally competition's statement confirmed.

A judicial inquiry is underway to determine the circumstances of the tragic accident that occurred at around 3:30pm on Sunday.

The annual Rallye Condroz-Huy race was abandoned in devastating circumstances after a 16-year-old girl and 18-year-old man died following a crash near the town of Wanze in Liege. Spectators were watching the Belgian Rally Series roadside, and the teenagers were killed after a car veered off the road and crashed in slippery conditions on Sunday.

A statement published on the rally competition's website has since confirmed the details of the tragic accident: "The car veered off the road and hit a small parapet before rolling onto its side, hitting a group of spectators who were in an area prohibited to the public."

Organisers said the two teenagers died despite 'very rapid intervention of the emergency services'.

A competitor and one other person was taken to hospital after the accident, but were not in a critical condition, the rally competition's statement confirmed.

A judicial inquiry is underway to determine the circumstances of the tragic accident that occurred at around 3:30pm on Sunday.

The last leg of the rally, which was at its penultimate stage, has since been cancelled and no trophy ceremony was held at the end of the race..

Organisers have offered their 'deepest condolences' to the families of the teenagers involved in the crash.

On 28/06/2023 04:23 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> A Scottish stock car racer who had been drinking killed a Royal Navy veteran before fleeing the scene.
> Marc Fortune, 28, was behind the wheel of his 4x4 pick up when he ploughed into the back of a Vauxhall Meriva driven by John King. The 63 year-old's car was forced off the road and ended up spinning down an embankment on the A92 near Cowdenbeath in Fife.
> John - who had served in the Royal Navy for 25 years - never survived the crash on September 12 2020, as the Daily Record reports.
> A young boy and a baby in the motor were also hurt, but luckily survived. Fortune - who had earlier been spotted swigging vodka at a stock car meeting - drove off later telling a friend: "My mum is going to kill me."
> A judge heard it was instead the "remarkable courage" of the boy injured in the crash who brought the emergency services to the scene late at night. First offender Fortune now faces a lengthy jail-term after he today pled guilty to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.
> Prosecutor Richard Goddard KC told how Fortune was involved in racing stock cars mainly at a track in Lochgelly, Fife. He had been there on the night of the incident as a spectator.
> Mr Goddard told the High Court in Glasgow: "He was seen to take a full sized bottle of vodka from the passenger seat of his Mitsubishi Barbarian L200. He was seen to pinch his nose and drink 'a good few mouthfuls'.
> Fortune was described as if he was "tipsy". Despite this, he later drove off in his 4x4 and headed on the A92. John meantime was on the same road on the way to collect a relative from work.
> One child was in the front passenger seat with the younger in a baby seat in the back. John was in the inside lane when he was suddenly struck at the back by Fortune's vehicle.
> This caused the Vauxhall to spin, hit a barrier and then hurtle through the air before rolling down an embankment. Mr Goddard: "The offside doors burst open and the roof as well as the rear of the vehicle were severely damaged."
> It was estimated Fortune had been travelling "at a speed in excess" of the 70mph John was said to be going at. Instead of stopping to help, Fortune instead carried on for half a mile before locking and abandoning his 4x4.
> He initially got a woman to collect him claiming he had crashed his car, but did not want to talk about it. Fortune then called a friend to drive him later stating to him: "My mum is going to kill me - I just hit it. They locked up the brakes and I just hit it."
> The court heard that the older boy meantime managed to clamber out of the wrecked Vauxhall. Mr Goddard: "With remarkable courage and presence of mind, he dialled 999. He was highly distressed, but able to remain on the phone and describe the road he had travelled to allow the emergency services to locate him.
> "He was able to describe the condition of (John) and the other child. Towards the end of the call, he approached the road and used his mobile phone torch to successfully guide police."
> John, of Ballingry, Fife, was found still in the car, but unresponsive. The baby was upside down in his baby seat. Attempts were made to save John, but he never recovered from head, neck and chest injuries.
> Both children suffered cuts and remained in hospital overnight. Police found Fortune's 4x4 and he was traced to his father's home in Kirknewton, Midlothian the next morning.
> He had to be woken from his bed and still appeared under the influence of alcohol. He claimed to have left the Mitsubishi parked at the racetrack and that his cousin had given him a lift home. Police checked out his claims, but found he was lying.
> They later returned and Fortune was breathalysed. He was found to have 75mg (sic) of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22mg (sic). Fortune stated he had drunk three vodka and cokes before officers had come back.
> The court heard John is survived by his wife of 34 years as well as five brothers, two stepchildren and five grandchildren. It was also stated the boy in the crash remains badly affected, but that there have been "small improvements" in him.
> Fortune was remanded in custody as sentencing was deferred for reports.

1. Is Cowdenbeath a suburb of Stirling?

2. Who was riding the chav-cycle?

On 28/06/2023 04:56 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> Two teenagers have been killed in a tragic accident after a rally car came off the road and crashed into spectators during a competition in Belgium.
> The annual Rallye Condroz-Huy race was abandoned in devastating circumstances after a 16-year-old girl and 18-year-old man died following a crash near the town of Wanze in Liege. Spectators were watching the Belgian Rally Series roadside, and the teenagers were killed after a car veered off the road and crashed in slippery conditions on Sunday.
> A statement published on the rally competition's website has since confirmed the details of the tragic accident: "The car veered off the road and hit a small parapet before rolling onto its side, hitting a group of spectators who were in an area prohibited to the public."
> Organisers said the two teenagers died despite 'very rapid intervention of the emergency services'.
> A competitor and one other person was taken to hospital after the accident, but were not in a critical condition, the rally competition's statement confirmed.
> A judicial inquiry is underway to determine the circumstances of the tragic accident that occurred at around 3:30pm on Sunday.
> The annual Rallye Condroz-Huy race was abandoned in devastating circumstances after a 16-year-old girl and 18-year-old man died following a crash near the town of Wanze in Liege. Spectators were watching the Belgian Rally Series roadside, and the teenagers were killed after a car veered off the road and crashed in slippery conditions on Sunday.
> A statement published on the rally competition's website has since confirmed the details of the tragic accident: "The car veered off the road and hit a small parapet before rolling onto its side, hitting a group of spectators who were in an area prohibited to the public."
> Organisers said the two teenagers died despite 'very rapid intervention of the emergency services'.
> A competitor and one other person was taken to hospital after the accident, but were not in a critical condition, the rally competition's statement confirmed.
> A judicial inquiry is underway to determine the circumstances of the tragic accident that occurred at around 3:30pm on Sunday.

Which Sunday?

Did it all take place in this century?

> The last leg of the rally, which was at its penultimate stage, has since been cancelled and no trophy ceremony was held at the end of the race..
> Organisers have offered their 'deepest condolences' to the families of the teenagers involved in the crash.

Such "deep condolences" would be easier to treat as sincere if all such
"organisers" repented of organising races on the public highway and
promised never to do it again.

A RALLY spectator died yesterday after he was hit by one of the cars.

The man, who was in his 60s, suffered serious head injuries in the collision at Dixies Corner, near Sennybridge, Powys, at 10.20am.

He was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, but died of his injuries.

The driver of the rally car suffered minor injuries in the incident and was taken to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr.

The Harry Flatters 09 Rally had been taking place in the area over the weekend.

Inspector Adrian Evans said last night: “Dyfed-Powys Police can now confirm that the spectator in collision with the rally car at Dixies Corner, Sennybridge, has died.

“His personal details are not being released until the next of kin have been informed.”

Inspector Evans said officers were appealing for any witnesses to the incident to contact them.

“The police are particularly keen to have contact with any person that may have any images made at the time, immediately prior to or after the incident,” he said.

Inspector Diane Davies, who was at the scene, said the man had been watching the rally with his family. She said: “What we think has happened is the car came over the brow of a hill and the driver lost control of the vehicle.

“He crossed some marshland, somersaulted and sadly collided with a spectator.”

In a statement the Brecon Motor Club which oversees the rally event said: “It is with regret that Brecon Motor Club reports the tragic death of a spectator on Sunday the 2nd of August during the running of the Harry Flatters Rally on the private roads of Mynydd Epynt.

“All the relevant authorities have been informed and inquiries into the accident are ongoing.”

The death comes two years after a stage of the Wales Rally GB had to be stopped when two spectators were injured.

In December 2007 a 39-year-old man and his 14-year-old nephew were taken to hospital for treatment after they were struck by flying debris when a powerful Subaru Impreza driven by former British karting champion Simon Harraway crashed off the rally track close to where they were standing.

And back in 2005, the Wales Rally GB saw the death of 39-year-old father-of-two Mike Park who had been acting as co-driver to one of the world’s top rally drivers, Estonian Markko Martin.

Martin later told an inquest in Neath he could not explain the crash which killed his co-driver. Martin described how he lost control of his Peugeot 307 car as he travelled at up to 100mph in a rally stage at Bryn Forest near Port Talbot.

An accidental death verdict was recorded.

And this is supposed to help the grieving family and friends in what way,
exactly?

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> Two teenagers have been killed in a tragic accident after a rally car
> came off the road and crashed into spectators during a competition in Belgium.

<snip>

--
Spike