Rally champion Colin McRae dies with son in helicopter crash

Zeiss · 09-15-2007, 07:42 PM

Tom Gordon for The Sunday Times

THE former rally driving champion Colin McRae was killed and his five year-old son feared dead in a helicopter crash yesterday afternoon. The aircraft came down in Jerviswood, Lanarkshire, half a mile from the family's home and burst into flames just after 4pm.

Jean-Eric Freudiger, McRae's agent, said the 39-year-old driver had been piloting the helicopter himself. Also on board were believed to be his son Johnny, another adult and another child. Police said there were no survivors.

McRae's wife Alison and their daughter Hollie, 9, were not on board, friends said.

McRae became Britain's first World Rally champion in 1995. He was one of the country's most successful sportsmen, achieving 25 wins in World Rally events and 42 podium places. He was a flamboyant driver, inspiring one the world's best-selling computer rally games.
Related Links

* Legend of the road

* The people’s champion

The helicopter came down within half a mile of McRae's home, Jervis House, a 16th-century tower house, which has an adjacent helipad. The weather had been overcast, with a light breeze, but visibility was good.

Strathclyde police said the extent of the fire damage was making identification a problem.

McRae's wife, a childhood sweetheart and his former co-driver, was taken back to the house under police escort shortly after 6pm. She looked calm, but neighbours gathering outside the house looked shaken with grief.

McRae's friend the rally journalist Jeremy Hart who flew with the champion several times described him as a "very good, very measured pilot whose natural ability with machinery was second to none". "Colin regularly flew all over the UK and into Europe," said Hart. "He knew the terrain and conditions at Jerviswood very well. It was the place he flew into most regularly.

"As a driver Colin was misunderstood slightly as being reckless but everything you saw with him came from pure raw talent as opposed to being learnt. He was the Michael Schumacher of rally driving.

"It's so ironic that he should die in a helicopter crash when he had competed and had brushed with death so many times as a rally driver."

Additional reporting: Paul Lamarra

One of the best...R.I.P

325 Baller · 09-15-2007, 07:50 PM

Theirs conflicting reports, I read on bimmerfest, times says yes bbc and skynews said not confirmed.

But if it is true, sad and RIP

spacedogg · 09-15-2007, 08:02 PM

Oh man...that's two rally greats...passing away in the past little while...Colin McRae and Richard Burns.

RIP...

DC52E55 · 09-15-2007, 08:17 PM

The greatest driver of all times!

RIP sir!

c0nstant · 09-15-2007, 08:20 PM

rest in peace, he was a terrific driver

Noize · 09-15-2007, 08:24 PM

Makes me just sick.

baggerben · 09-15-2007, 08:29 PM

man,thats not good news.rip.

AHY · 09-15-2007, 10:33 PM

damn....he competed in the x-games recently too. RIP

aapriadi · 09-16-2007, 12:29 AM

nooooooo!!! tell me this isnt true!!!!!!

Year's_End · 09-16-2007, 12:45 AM

Are...are you serious? It was only just a while ago that I saw him do a barrel roll in his car and finish a race unscathed. Such a pity; a great driver. He'll be remembered for sure. RIP

GreddyBoy858 · 09-16-2007, 01:00 AM

Damn.. That totally sucks.. RIP

SpecC · 09-16-2007, 05:41 AM

RIP Colin.

Str8EJ · 09-16-2007, 02:50 PM

all in all, pretty damn sad news - he was one of my favorites.

spacedogg · 09-16-2007, 03:20 PM

You can post condolences for his family here:

http://www.colinmcrae.com/condolences.asp

Site is slow and overloaded.

HyperM3 · 09-16-2007, 04:28 PM

Wow, I just got shivers. This is very sad. Unfortunately I bet the stupid petty shit going on in F1 right now will overshadow this untimely end to a superstar.

Bimmerista · 09-16-2007, 10:45 PM

Oh God I had goosebumps reading this - what a tragedy, to go like this, one of the all-time greatest drivers. Crap. I am very sad.

Poor familly, my heart goeas out to his wife and daughter.

koreez88 · 09-17-2007, 04:21 AM

My god..... RIP Colin, you will be missed.

dxb335d · 09-17-2007, 06:20 AM

i heard this just after it happend, very sad.. my condolonces go to His wife and his daughter hollie

R.I.P Colin and Johnny

09-15-2007, 07:42 PM	#1
Zeiss Lieutenant Colonel 350 Rep 1,864 Posts Drives: Bicycle Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Vancouver iTrader: (0)	Rally champion Colin McRae dies with son in helicopter crash Tom Gordon for The Sunday Times THE former rally driving champion Colin McRae was killed and his five year-old son feared dead in a helicopter crash yesterday afternoon. The aircraft came down in Jerviswood, Lanarkshire, half a mile from the family's home and burst into flames just after 4pm. Jean-Eric Freudiger, McRae's agent, said the 39-year-old driver had been piloting the helicopter himself. Also on board were believed to be his son Johnny, another adult and another child. Police said there were no survivors. McRae's wife Alison and their daughter Hollie, 9, were not on board, friends said. McRae became Britain's first World Rally champion in 1995. He was one of the country's most successful sportsmen, achieving 25 wins in World Rally events and 42 podium places. He was a flamboyant driver, inspiring one the world's best-selling computer rally games. Related Links * Legend of the road * The people’s champion The helicopter came down within half a mile of McRae's home, Jervis House, a 16th-century tower house, which has an adjacent helipad. The weather had been overcast, with a light breeze, but visibility was good. Strathclyde police said the extent of the fire damage was making identification a problem. McRae's wife, a childhood sweetheart and his former co-driver, was taken back to the house under police escort shortly after 6pm. She looked calm, but neighbours gathering outside the house looked shaken with grief. McRae's friend the rally journalist Jeremy Hart who flew with the champion several times described him as a "very good, very measured pilot whose natural ability with machinery was second to none". "Colin regularly flew all over the UK and into Europe," said Hart. "He knew the terrain and conditions at Jerviswood very well. It was the place he flew into most regularly. "As a driver Colin was misunderstood slightly as being reckless but everything you saw with him came from pure raw talent as opposed to being learnt. He was the Michael Schumacher of rally driving. "It's so ironic that he should die in a helicopter crash when he had competed and had brushed with death so many times as a rally driver." Additional reporting: Paul Lamarra One of the best...R.I.P
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09-15-2007, 07:50 PM	#2
325 Baller Colonel 280 Rep 2,576 Posts Drives: X3 28i Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Boca Raton, Florida iTrader: (1) Garage List 2006 325i [0.00]	Theirs conflicting reports, I read on bimmerfest, times says yes bbc and skynews said not confirmed. But if it is true, sad and RIP __________________ ----------------------------------------------------
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09-15-2007, 08:02 PM	#3
spacedogg Colonel 205 Rep 2,816 Posts Drives: Debadged Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC iTrader: (0)	Oh man...that's two rally greats...passing away in the past little while...Colin McRae and Richard Burns. RIP...
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09-15-2007, 08:17 PM	#4
DC52E55 Second Lieutenant 31 Rep 212 Posts Drives: M5 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: California iTrader: (0)	The greatest driver of all times! RIP sir!
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09-15-2007, 08:20 PM	#5
c0nstant Lieutenant General 1834 Rep 17,322 Posts Drives: G80 M3 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (1)	rest in peace, he was a terrific driver
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09-15-2007, 08:24 PM	#6
Noize Under the radar 42 Rep 840 Posts Drives: FWD in reverse Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: In traffic at idle iTrader: (1)	Makes me just sick.
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09-15-2007, 08:29 PM	#7
baggerben Private First Class 2 Rep 141 Posts Drives: volvo s70 t5,for now.335i soon Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: north eastern usa iTrader: (0)	man,thats not good news.rip.
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09-15-2007, 10:33 PM	#8
AHY First Lieutenant 16 Rep 333 Posts Drives: e92 335i, e70 3.0 m-sport Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: N. California, East Bay iTrader: (5)	damn....he competed in the x-games recently too. RIP
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09-16-2007, 12:29 AM	#9
aapriadi Colonel 203 Rep 2,068 Posts Drives: '13 F30 AW 320i Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia iTrader: (10)	nooooooo!!! tell me this isnt true!!!!!! __________________ mod = crack
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09-16-2007, 12:45 AM	#10
Year's_End Lieutenant General 1243 Rep 12,446 Posts Drives: 2020 Shelby GT350 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: FL iTrader: (0)	Are...are you serious? It was only just a while ago that I saw him do a barrel roll in his car and finish a race unscathed. Such a pity; a great driver. He'll be remembered for sure. RIP __________________ Past: '08 E92 335i\|ZPP\|ZSP\|6AT Past: '15 Mustang GT\|401A\|PP\|6MT Current: '20 Shelby GT350\|6MT
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09-16-2007, 01:00 AM	#11
GreddyBoy858 Mack 28 Rep 209 Posts Drives: 2006 325i Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego iTrader: (0)	Damn.. That totally sucks.. RIP __________________ 2006 BMW 325i / Jet Black / Black Dakota / Step / Nav w/ iDrive/ Premium / Sport / Sat Radio/ Adaptive Xenon Headlights / Debadged / Chrome Exhaust Tips / Rear Foglight Mod. / Rear DC Power Outlet Mod. / 20% Tint
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09-16-2007, 05:41 AM	#12
SpecC Completely obsessed with detailing 305 Rep 15,441 Posts Drives: E90 SG 330i, white Scion tC Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Francisco and Davis iTrader: (4)	RIP Colin.
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09-16-2007, 02:50 PM	#13
Str8EJ Master of Ceremonies 1 Rep 111 Posts Drives: '07 328xi Jet Blk/Blk/6Spd Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NoVirginia iTrader: (0)	all in all, pretty damn sad news - he was one of my favorites.
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09-16-2007, 03:20 PM	#14
spacedogg Colonel 205 Rep 2,816 Posts Drives: Debadged Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC iTrader: (0)	You can post condolences for his family here: http://www.colinmcrae.com/condolences.asp Site is slow and overloaded.
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09-16-2007, 04:28 PM	#15
HyperM3 Too many Alex's, from now on, call me Beaufort 355 Rep 6,188 Posts Drives: See Sig Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Lawrenceville, NJ iTrader: (8)	Wow, I just got shivers. This is very sad. Unfortunately I bet the stupid petty shit going on in F1 right now will overshadow this untimely end to a superstar. __________________ 13 HD FatBob 17 A4 Glacier/Black 1st Edition/Pre+/Sport/EurocodeTMD/Racechip 16 S6 (gone),14 S6 (gone),14 S6 (gone),13 S6 (gone),10 S4 (gone) 07 335i(gone)
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09-16-2007, 10:45 PM	#16
Bimmerista Major General 85 Rep 5,732 Posts Drives: superstock Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada iTrader: (0)	Oh God I had goosebumps reading this - what a tragedy, to go like this, one of the all-time greatest drivers. Crap. I am very sad. Poor familly, my heart goeas out to his wife and daughter. __________________ __________________________ 2016 435 xdrive GC white on black leather interior, Msport1, Msport2, premium package 2015 Lincoln MKX, silver on brown leather, premium package - that's right! Techno-Groovy baby
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09-17-2007, 04:21 AM	#17
koreez88 Всем привет ;) 149 Rep 3,358 Posts Drives: Tesla Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: USA iTrader: (12)	My god..... RIP Colin, you will be missed.
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09-17-2007, 06:20 AM	#18
dxb335d The Tarmac Terrorist 1011 Rep 29,344 Posts Drives: 997.2 GT3 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: ''Fandango Towers'' iTrader: (3) Garage List 2010 Porsche 997.2 GT3 [9.50] 2003 BMW E46 M3 [6.00] 2007 BMW E92 335D [5.50]	i heard this just after it happend, very sad.. my condolonces go to His wife and his daughter hollie R.I.P Colin and Johnny __________________ 997.2 GT3
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