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Rally car hits photographer

PA Auckland A young free-lance photographer was injured when a rally » car crashed off the road and hit him during a rally “media day” at Riverhead Forest yesterday. Gerald Shacklock was taken to hospital with suspected back injuries, bruising, and cuts. The driver of the rally car, the present New Zealand champion. Blair Robson, said his car ran wide on a corner of the gravel forest .track and hit the photographer. “There was no power to drive the ear away from him as we went over the bank,” Robson said. “1 never really saw him. was just a flash and he went over the roof-”

Robson’s Ford Escort then [crashed on to its roof and [rolled 10m down the bank. | Robson was shaken but un- ! hurt. His passenger in the I car, a “New Zealand Herald” reporter, John Coker, suffered a small cut to the left jhand, and Was treated at the I scene. j The chief clerk of the I rally course (Mr R. Mont|gomery) said the photo- ■ grapher apparently had been i standing on the outside of I the corner, where the acci|dent happened. , ’“This was against our adIvice to news media repreIsentatives, before the day’s I activities started and | against the advice that we have repeatedly made to rally spectators,” he said. “The only safe place for spectators is on the inside lof corners, preferably above the road. This accident highlights the danger we have (been warning spectators about.” I Robson was using the iMasport team’s back-up car [for the demonstration [yesterday and although the [car was badly damaged his '’chances for the three-day ■rally will not have been Ijeopardised.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19790711.2.12

Bibliographic details

Press, 11 July 1979, Page 2

Word Count
277

Rally car hits photographer Press, 11 July 1979, Page 2

Rally car hits photographer Press, 11 July 1979, Page 2