People urged not to share footage of fatal incident at Donegal International Rally

MOTORSPORT IRELAND HAS urged people not to share footage of an incident at the Donegal International Rally on Saturday which led to the death of 15-year-old Tadhg Callaghan Carter.

Shortly before 5pm on Saturday, emergency services and gardaí were alerted to an incident involving a participating vehicle at Trentagh, close to Kilmacrennan, at the Gartan stage of the three-day event.

Teenage spectator Tadhg Callaghan Carter was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Tadhg was one of a group of three teenagers who were shunted into a field by the force of a passing rally competitor. The other two teenagers also attended hospital, but their injuries are not life-threatening.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, sporting Executive at Motorsport Ireland, Art McCarrick, said footage showing “at least two angles” of the incident are circulating on social media.

“Unfortunately, the way the world is, everything is filmed and everything is shared,” he said.

“We would urge anyone that sees it, one, not to share it, and, two, to report it. It’s not going to do his family, his friends, and us, the driver, or the co-driver, any good for that to be continually doing the rounds.” 

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The Donegal Motor Club, in conjunction with Motorsport Ireland, called off the rally after news of Tadhg’s passing was released.

A garda spokesperson said investigations are ongoing and further updates will follow.

McCarrick described the incident as “beyond devastating” and said Motorsport Ireland is carrying out an investigation.

He said that on Saturday, a competing car ran wide on a left-hand corner. He said a group of spectators, including Tadhg, were standing on the outside of that corner and three were hit.

McCarrick said that before competing cars come through an area, the safety caravan will pass through to make sure the stage is safe to start, a step he said was done on Saturday.

He said Motorsport Ireland’s investigation aims to find if there are any learnings that can be put in place to “prevent something like this happening again”.

The sporting manager said support is being offered to the driver and co-driver involved in the incident. 

McCarrick said the incident is the first spectator fatality Motorsport Ireland has had since 2012.

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