Gumball 3000 Cancelled

Fatal car crash leads to abrupt end for Europe's most famous rally.
by Justin Kaehler

May 3, 2007 - Given the recklessness and hard partying associated with Europe's Gumball 3000, it was only a matter of time before someone got hurt - or in this case - killed.

Metro.co.uk reports that the turbocharged TecArt 911 of Gumball participants Nick Morley and Matthew McConville collided with a VW Golf in Macedonia. The 67-year-old driver of the Golf died en route to the hospital while his wife - who was in the Golf's passenger seat at the time of the accident - is said to still be fighting for her life.

It gets worse: allegedly the Gumballers hopped into the BMW of another Gumball 3000 participant and attempted to flee the country to avoid persecution. Witnesses tipped off Macedonian authorities, and all Gumball participants involved in the fatal crash were arrested at the Albanian border. McConville and the driver of the BMW were set free, but Morley - who was driving the Porsche at the time of the accident - will be held in Macedonia for up to 30 days while authorities continue their investigation into the matter. In response to this tragedy, Gumball 3000 ended the rally early in Bratislava.

(Big thanks to Jalopnik.com for bringing this story to our attention. Check them out for more detailed info on the events surrounding this accident.)


http://cars.ign.com/articles/785/785507p1.html

 

Article with pic - just terrible.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article....&in_page_id=34

 

did they even stop to see if the people in the golf were ok, or just hop in another car and go? I'm awfully disappointed to hear that the guys in the BMW were set free, honestly, I see what they did to be as bad if not worse than the driver of the Porsche. The Porsche driver committed a sin of omission (omission of responsibility). The BMW drivers actions were deliberate, and devious, and there is no denying that.

Freaking jerks, they give people who like fast cars a bad name.

 

this is very sad. irresponsible people with too much money and ego.

 

WOW, well what do you excpet they party and drink the night before they drive, damn hope they continue the rally for the next couple of years becuase I'm hoping to enter my brand new (well the kit) JCW MCS after I graduate but it's $10,000 per person ugh but it's a once in a lifetime thing.

 

Our hobbies should never be funded with another life... When a terrible accident happens we should take responsibility for our actions so that others might learn from our mistake....

 

Although I agree with the sentiment of your post, that we should do what we can to learn from this tragic incident, I take umbrage with the notion that a life has "funded" anything that I do. What caused this accident has NOTHING to do with "my hobbies", and I refuse to think that I have ANYTHING in common with these jackasses other than being an auto enthusiast. I in know way feel RESPONSIBLE for what these morons did. I enjoy my hobby in a safe, responsible fashion (autocross). There are any number of other safe ways to enjoy your hobbies if you have different tastes (track events, drag strip, whatever your tastes are). What the gumball rally endorses (very fast driving on public roads, evading law enforcement, general irresponsible behavior), is VERY different from "my hobby", and I hope its different than yours. Its people like this that spoil it for those of us who like nice cars but want to be able to enjoy them in a responsible manner. They are the reason I am constantly profiled as a "street racer", despite the fact that I do not street race, and for this I deplore them.

Green Goblin, I hope you're not serious, I can't for the life of me figure out why you would want to be associated with these idiots.

 

Things are done differently in Europe. Look at WRC, closed public roads that nobody would tolerate being closed with lots of fans literally on the edge of the road that no American event would allow. Autobahn with no speed limit, should be red stained pavement the whole way because everyone speeds, granted drivers licenses aren't given away.

The difference is the totally irresponsible perps. Simple fact, got money, you can do anything (didn't work for that blonde hotel chick).

I would do the Nevada Silverstate if I had the money.

 

So, officially its over. But who says that they cant break another rule by running it anyway. They are already speeding, running from LEOs (when caught speeding) and just all-around driving recklessly.

 

did somebody have to die to get it cancelled? I dont understand.

 

Does this actually surprise anyone?

 

Well, I was simply posting the info - but actually yes, I was rather surprised by how the organizers and the people involved chose to handle things.

 

Sorry, I know you were just posting it, but to me this news is sort of like hearing about people being gored at the running of the bulls. The resulting international legal tangle certainly does serve as an exclamation point on the whole fiasco.

 

Kinda suprised it didn't happen sooner. It's a risk we take everyday we get on the road, driving stupidly in packs is an exponetial increase to that risk.

 

That is what I was thinking too. People hardly blink anymore when they hear of another kid dying in a street race accident. This is different in that it appears the drivers of the 911 tried to flee the country, but only for that fact. Otherwise it is just another stupid street racing accident. I'm very sad for the victims and their families. I'm also sad that an exceptional example of a 911 Turbo was destroyed by the hands of an irresponsible moron. Lock up the drivers and throw away the key. We don't need asshats like that on ANY public road in any country.

 

I don't agree that it is the same but for the people trying to flee the country - this is an annual organized event that costs a lot of $$ to participate in. The organizers and those involved are adults and much planning and forethought took place, I'd think the liability/responsibility would be greater as a result. With hope people will stop glamorizing this event now simply because of the flashy cars and people with more money then brains.

And I don't think people 'hardly blink' when kids are killed in street racing incidents, especially when innocent bystanders are murdered or hurt as a result - actually it seems the public and law enforement is very concerned about it which is why they keep an eye (and ear) out for modded cars that look like they would take part in street racing.

 

I hope the organizers of the rally go down for this, they are in part, reponsible for this as well, they can claim they are "saddened" all they want, but if they didn't realize this was a possibility with the way this event is set up, they are even dumber than I initially suspected.