LAST UPDATE | 25 Sep 2023

THE MAN WHO died in a serious crash at a motor rally in Co Clare yesterday has been named as Damien Fleming. 

The incident happened during Stage 4 of the Clare Stages Rally which was being held in North Clare.

It is believed that a competitor crashed and had gotten out of his car to assess the damage when he was hit by another car in the rally. 

The incident occurred at around 1.30pm at Glencolumbkille near Carron. The rally was immediately halted while emergency services were alerted and attended to the scene.

National Ambulance Service paramedics responded to the incident while the Emergency Aeromedical Service air ambulance, Aeromed-01, based in Cork and operated by the HSE, was also requested to attend.

The driver of the second car involved in the incident has been transferred to University Hospital Limerick to receive treatment for injuries, according to Motorsport Ireland, the national governing body for four-wheeled motorsport in Ireland.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Motorsport Ireland sporting manager Art McCarrick confirmed that the victim of yesterday’s crash was Damien Fleming. 

An experienced competitor, Fleming had competed in over 150 events since 2006. 

“Anyone who competes in motorsport do so because they love the sport and I have no doubt that competitor Damien Fleming started off yesterday full of excitment and looking forward to competing in the sport that he loved,” McCarrick said. 

“It’s just tragic how things unfolded yesterday,” he said. 

“What what appear to have happened was the car in which Mr Fleming was travelling in broken down with a mechanical failure,” he said. 

The next one or two cars passed “without a problem”, however he said “it appears another car lost control, collided with the stationary car”.

“We just need to look into every possible thing that happened in the run up to it and that will form the basis of our investigation and An Garda Síochána’s as well,” he said.

He said the event went through the same safety checks that every closed road rally does. 

“Whether the accident and the causes of it were to do with the road itself, the car involved, we don’t know until we look into that. But the stage four which the accident happened on yesterday, that ran in the morning as stage one without any issue,” he said.

In a statement yesterday, Motorsport Ireland extended sympathy to Fleming and to the people involved in organising the event. 

“Motorsport Ireland extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of a competitor who was fatally injured during a tragic accident today while competing on the fourth stage of the 2023 Clare Stages Rally,” the statement said.

“The driver of a second car involved in the incident has been transferred to University Hospital Limerick to received treatment for injuries he sustained.

“Motorsport Ireland extends its sympathies to the members of Clare Motor Club and everyone involved with organising today’s event who reacted so quickly and professionally to the incident.”

Fleming was a member of Killarney and District Motor Club. 

In a post on Facebook, the club said it is “heavy hearted” that Fleming was fatally injured. 

The club said its “thoughts and prayers” are with Fleming’s family and friends “at this very sad and difficult time”. 

“Our thoughts also go out to the competitors who were on the scene, the medical and emergency personnel that attended the incident along with members of Clare Motor Club,” it said. 

“We wish a speedy recovery to the competitor who was hospitalised as a result of this incident,” the club added. 

With reporting by Stephen McDermott and Pat Flynn