Three spectators were killed during an auto rally in central France on Sunday when a car veered off the course and struck them, authorities confirmed. The incident occurred near the town of Ambert in the Puy-de-Dôme department around 11 a.m. local time.
The vehicle involved, a modified Peugeot 208, was being driven by a 22-year-old woman competitor. Her 51-year-old female co-driver was also in the car. Both were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to local prosecutors.
Officials said two of the victims, men aged 70 and 60, died at the scene. A third man, aged 44, was airlifted to hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. The three men, two of whom were brothers, had reportedly been standing near the edge of the track when the car left the road.
The Clermont-Ferrand public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into involuntary manslaughter. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash and whether the spectators were in a restricted zone at the time.
“The impact was very violent,” said regional prosecutor Laure Moisset, who visited the site. “Three families are now mourning their loved ones.” While initial reports suggested the victims may have been in a closed-off area marked with red tape, Moisset stressed it was too early to confirm those details. “The race was extremely well organised,” she added.
The crash has shocked the motorsport community. “This is a tragedy for the world of racing,” said Joël Mathurin, the prefect of Puy-de-Dôme. A psychological support unit was set up in the nearby village of Saint-Just, with nine individuals treated for shock following the incident.
The rally, now in its 32nd edition, has been held since 1965 and attracted 167 teams this year. It is not the first fatality linked to the event—in last year’s rally, a race marshal died.
Organisers halted the race at 10:49 a.m., shortly before the fatal accident was confirmed. All spectators were asked to leave, and the planned awards ceremony was cancelled. Firefighters and police were deployed to the area, and the road where the crash occurred—reportedly a straight stretch flanked by cornfields—was closed for investigation.
The car involved has been seized for examination as authorities continue their inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the tragic event.
