One dead, two injured as rally car hits spectators

By MARTYN MCLAUGHLIN AND JIM MCGILL
Published on 17/02/2013 00:56

A WOMAN died and a young boy was injured after a car careered into a crowd of spectators at a rally event near Inverness yesterday.

Joy Robson, 50, was killed after the vehicle left the track at the annual Snowman Rally, about five miles west of Loch Ness.

An eight-year-old boy was taken to Raigmore Hospital following the incident, but his injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

It is understood that Robson was a nursery teacher from Portree, Skye. She was not related to the youngster. One other person suffered minor injuries.

Neither the driver of the car, Graeme Schoneville, nor his co-driver, Michael Hendry, were hurt in the accident, which took place at about 11am during the first stage of the race at Glenurquhart Forest, Balnain. The event, organised by the Highland Car Club, was subsequently abandoned.

Schoneville, from Carluke, is a member of the Coltness Car Club, whose former members include the late Colin McRae. His Honda Civic is thought to have left the track at a left-hand hairpin about six miles into the nine-mile course.

A spokesman for Northern Constabulary said: “Members of the force’s road policing unit will be carrying out a full road collision investigation and a report will be submitted to the procurator-fiscal.”

David Bogie, from Dumfries, a four-time Scottish Rally champion, said he was left shaken by the incident. He said: “It’s not a good day for Scottish motorsport.”