A TEENAGER and his co-driver have been killed in a deadly rally sprint crash in New Zealand.
The pair who tragically died have been named as 15-year-old Brooklyn Horan, and Tyson Jemmett, 35.
Horan and Jemmet had been racing at the Arcadia Road Rallysprint in Paparoa when their car crashed into a river.
A police investigator said that the car had skidded off the gravel road and plunged into a river swollen with rain.
The pair were pronounced dead on the scene by emergency services.
MotorSport New Zealand have confirmed that Horan had been driving the car when it crashed.
read more racing
Although New Zealanders can’t obtain a driver’s licence until they are 16, younger drivers are able to compete under certain conditions.
On MotorSport New Zealand’s website, it says that the junior driver program “allows people aged between 12 and 16 the ability to obtain a competition licence”.
According to MotorSport, it is not uncommon for young drivers to participate in these competitions.
However, the organisation has announced that it will be undertaking a thorough investigation.
Most read in Motorsport
“The event took place on Arcadia Road in Paparoa which was closed to the public for the duration of the event under the authority of the local Road Controlling Authority,” MotorSport said in its statement.
“It is too early in the investigation to comment on what the main contributing factors to the crash were, however, it does not seem as though the road was in a detrimental or unsafe condition.”
Motorsport New Zealand president Wayne Christie added: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of these two competitors and all involved with the Arcadia Road Rallysprint.
“The whole motorsport community will be understandably shocked and upset by this terrible tragedy.
“We will be offering support to all those involved in the coming days.”
Tributes to the pair have been flooding social media.
World Rally Championship winner Hyden Paddon has taken to X to express his condolences after learning of the double fatal crash.
He said: “Such a tragic event yesterday of two great people taken too early.
“Brooklyn Horan was one of the most exciting young rally talents who was destined for big things, and Tyson who was a massive rally fan and family man.
“Your career may have only just been starting but you had already left your mark.”
Winger Motorsport said: “On behalf of the team at Winger Motorsport, we send our condolences to the friends and family of Brooklyn Horan and his co-driver Tyson.”
1Eighty Racing added: “Such a raw talent! You will be missed on the track and our thoughts go out to your family.”
While Hodgson Motorsport posted: “It is with a very heavy heart that today we heard the absolutely devastating news that Brooklyn passed away doing the very thing we grew to love together as families.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“It’s times like these that you remember that the sport we chose comes with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.”
“Brooklyn you were an amazing kind loving happy kid and that hadn’t changed years later when we crossed paths again back at off-roading last year, the cheeky smile was still the same, you had just grown a weeee bit taller.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
