C a motor racing participant - Non-inquest findings

66y · Male·multiple injuries including subarachnoid haemorrhage, pneumothorax with multiple rib fractures and sternal fractures, and major upper cervical injury at C2

A 66-year-old experienced racing driver died from multiple injuries sustained in a motor vehicle crash at Lakeside Raceway. His vehicle's accelerator jammed, causing engine over-revving. He applied brakes rather than using the kill switch, and the vehicle became airborne after hitting a grass run-off area. He sustained critical head, neck, and thoracic injuries including subarachnoid haemorrhage, pneumothorax with rib fractures, and C2 cervical injury. The Forensic Crash Unit concluded that head and neck injuries may have been prevented with a forward head restraint device. This case led to CAMS mandating forward head restraints in racing competitions, with implementation from July 2014 onwards.