Two car trialists killed

Press, 13 August 1979, Page 6

Two car trialists killed

NZPA Darwin Two Repco reliability trial entrants were killed and a third man injured when their car rolled over at a creek crossing west of Kununurra, in Western Australia, early yesterday. The Repco organisers said the names of the dead and injured were being withheld by the police until relatives had been notified, but it was believed the car involved was a Peugeot. The police at Wyndham said it was not yet known how the accident happened, but it was believed the car went out of control just as it entered the creek crossing. The accident happened on a 516 km special stage. The Repco organisers said the two men died near Gipps Creek station.

The injured man was flown by the Flying Doctor service to the Kununurra Hospital, where he was treated for head injuries. The organisers said it was the first fatal accident in a rally since two MG drivers were drowned in a creek during the 1956 Redex trial. As the round-Australia trial reached the halfway point at Darwin after 13,000 kilometres yesterday, Holden Commodores filled the first three places, in the hands of Peter Brock, Barry Ferguson (both Australia), and Shekha Mehta (Kenya). Next were Andrew Cowan (Scotland, Citroen), Ross Dunkerton (Australia, Volvo) and G. Portman (Aust., Datsun).