Moment rally car barrel-rolls into crowd in Argentina horror crash killing one fan

WARNING DISTRESSING CONTENT: A rally driver lost control of his car and barrelled into a crowd of spectators, leaving one man dead and two others injured in a horror crash in Argentina

Abigail Hunt Content Editor

10:44, 20 Apr 2026Updated 10:53, 20 Apr 2026

Tragedy as rally car barrel-rolls into crowd leaving spectator dead

A spectator has been killed after a rally car barrel-rolled into the crowd in a horrifying crash.

Footage showed the moment a Volkswagen Polo R5 somersaulted several times before careering off the track and smashing into a group of fans positioned in a spectator area.

A 25-year-old man, identified as Brahian Zrate Gonzlez, was taken to hospital but subsequently died from his injuries. A 40-year-old woman suffered a fractured ankle while a young girl sustained minor bruising. The tragic incident happened during the Rally Sudamericano Mina Clavero, which forms part of the FIA CODASUR South American Rally Championship, yesterday (April 19).

[The rally car smashed into spectators]

The rally car smashed into spectators(Image: Jam Press)

The collision occurred during the 'Giulio Cesare' timed section of the competition in Mina Clavero, northern Argentina.

Paraguayan driver Didier Arias and co-driver Hector Nunez lost control of their machine after striking a dirt bank.

While both crew members escaped without serious harm, the consequences for those on the ground proved catastrophic.

[People ran for their lives as the car came crashing before them]

People ran for their lives as the car came crashing before them(Image: Jam Press)

Event officials immediately halted the stage and subsequently called off the rest of the competition as emergency crews rushed to the scene.

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) released a statement offering their "deepest sympathies and sincere condolences" to those affected.

A spokesperson commented: "The FIA is deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred today during Round 2 of the FIA CODASUR Rally Championship at Rally Sudamericano Mina Clavero, in which one spectator lost their life and two others were injured."

[People were launched into the air upon impact]

People were launched into the air upon impact(Image: Jam Press)

Article continues below

The FIA confirmed they are offering complete assistance to the Argentine Automobile Club and local authorities in their probe into the collision.

The tragedy casts a shadow over what has been a bleak weekend for motorsport, after racing driver Juha Miettinen lost his life during the Nrburgring qualifiers on Saturday, as reported by NeedToKnow.

[Dailystar Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Star as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.

[Google Preferred Source Badge]

At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.