Colin Mcrae dead

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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.

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."

Reply to
Tim S Kemp
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Thats really a horrible piece of news. :-(

I've enjoyed watching him over the years and having a play of a few of his rally games :)

Reply to
James

just heard this on the ITV news a min ago, RIP colin! another rally legend lost :(

Reply to
Vamp

Not another one :(

Reply to
Carl Gibbs

Bloody hell.

Richard Burns, Michael Park and now Colin McRae - all within a couple of years.

Reply to
Conor

Last saw him in Wales in 2005. Got a piccy of him and his brother Alaister.

Reply to
Conor

I think there's only Phil Mills left.

Reply to
Conor

This wasn't the news I wanted to hear coming home. Had heard of the crash about 7pm and suspected the worst since there was no mention of him not being in his heli :-(

Reply to
Homer

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@eclipse.net.uk...

Were he English, would they have called him a Brit, like here, or would he have been called "English?"

(We folks who marry into a Scotish family have heard/seen this all before. My favourite was about an Arny group that was testing some new style boots by walking from John O'Groats to Lands end, but the boots failed before they reached the "Scottish" border. That was BBC R4 in London, about 1996.

Farewell, Colin. Ye gave many thrills, Laddy.

Reply to
Now in San Diego

I heard the news at the gym this morning. :-(

Reply to
DervMan

What can one say? We all stay human.

All the best, Mr McCrash, you are one of those who will be very missed.

So long, Colin.

Tom De Moor

Reply to
Tom De Moor

Oh good god thats aweful. I had/have real respect for him, such a good driver and still a perfectly normal Joe by all accounts.

Reply to
CoyoteBoy

No, I think they found him (what was left...)

Reply to
Colin Wilson

He would have been a Brit, because Britain's first is more of a first than England's first.

England appears to have two borders, and Scotland only one, even if it is often called the Borders.

Reply to
Nick Finnigan

But if they were taking the route described, they would be approaching the English border as the are already in Scotland. Run this by a few Scots or Welsh freinds to see their response. If I were to walk south 25 miles from here, I would get to the Mexican border not the US border.

Reply to
Now in San Diego

Three. There are some small, circular borders with France.

Ian

Reply to
Ian

Very sad - heard on Saturday

RIP

Reply to
Martin

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