Rally Poland: Crew pulled from burning car by spectators; third accident in two days
A Peugeot 208 Rally4 rolled and burst into flames on stage 11 of the 82nd Rally Poland. Spectators pulled the crew from the wreck before the car was destroyed. It was the third serious crash of the weekend.
Sunday’s fiery crash on Hażlach
The 82nd Rally Poland, a round of the European Rally Championship, suffered its third serious accident in two days on Sunday, 26 July. Crew number 71, driver Piotr Piesko and co-driver Mateusz Kacprzak, went off the road on special stage 11 in Hażlach, Silesian Voivodeship. Their Peugeot 208 Rally4 rolled and then caught fire.
Spectators on the scene acted before emergency services arrived, pulling both competitors from the burning car. Fire crews extinguished the blaze, and a helicopter of Poland’s Air Ambulance Service (LPR) landed at the stage. Both crew members were taken to hospital. The stage was immediately halted.
We also want to wholeheartedly thank the fans present at the scene, who immediately reacted and with great composure provided assistance to the crew. At the same time, we strongly ask you to refrain from speculating and spreading unconfirmed information about the course of the event and the health condition of the competitors.
Saturday’s two crashes
The previous day, 25 July, two other crews were hospitalised after separate incidents on the second and third special stages. In Jastrzębie-Zdrój a car left the road and hit a tree. At Ochaby another vehicle drove into a group of spectators standing near the route. Both stages were interrupted, and competitors were redirected to an alternative route before racing resumed.
Rally spokesperson Andrzej Borowski said that the crews were taken from the accident scenes without life-threatening injuries, and the rally’s services had reacted swiftly. He confirmed that the competition continued after the Saturday stoppages.
We thank everyone who helped in the rescue operation. Both competitors were taken to hospital.
Rally status and what comes next
The rally, moved this year from the Masurian town of Mikołajki to Silesia after two decades, is the fourth round of the ERC and also counts toward the Polish championship. The final stages are scheduled for late Sunday afternoon, with full results expected after 19:00 local time.
- Car hits a tree in Jastrzębie-Zdrój; crew of Marcel Neullinger taken to hospital.
- Vehicle enters a spectator area in Ochaby; crew of Dominik Stritesky hospitalised.
- Peugeot 208 Rally4 of Piesko/Kacprzak rolls and catches fire in Hażlach; spectators rescue crew, LPR helicopter lands.
Earlier incidents and safety
Two crews were injured on Saturday: Marcel Neullinger in the crash at Jastrzębie-Zdrój and Dominik Stritesky in the spectator-area incident at Ochaby. Organisers have not disclosed the severity of the injuries beyond stating that they are not life-threatening. The series of accidents on consecutive days has drawn attention to stage safety, though rally officials have emphasised that each incident triggered an immediate response and that no stage was left unprotected.
The 71 car was completely destroyed by fire, but the rapid intervention of bystanders prevented far worse consequences. The rally’s medical and fire resources, reinforced by the LPR helicopter, operated at each crash site without delay.
