There’s a sombre mood in New Zealand motorsport this week after the tragic death of respected photographer, Kevin Corin, at last weekend’s Hanmer Rally.
The grief that has permeated the sport is far reaching, starting with those who witnessed the accident at a spectator point late in the rally, through to family, friends and colleagues of Kevin.
Unfortunately, death in motorsport is nothing new and brings the realities of the sport’s dangers back to us whenever it occurs. It makes it no easier though.
Rallying, in particular, is a sport where camaraderie is prevalent right across the board – from officials, to competitors, spectators, and even the working media, of which Kevin Corin was a part of.
Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of photographers have stood beside Kevin on corners in the far reaches of the New Zealand countryside over the years, sharing a laugh and a joke, while all the while trying to out-do each other with a better angle, a better photo, or simply for the love of the sport.
Our hearts especially go out to Kevin’s colleagues who were on hand on Sunday and witnessed the tragic event that would claim his life.
Inevitably the accident may trigger a major review of safety at rally events around New Zealand, and so it should. The safety of all involved in rallying – from competitors to spectators – is paramount and deserves the highest priority.
Since the accident, reports of a video of the crash being forwarded to rally people via social media is something that leaves me sick to the stomach.
In this day of phone cameras and social media outlets, it’s obvious that someone would have footage of what happened, but the mindset of a person to forward this on to others is hard to fathom.
“I opened it tonight innocently … this is extremely upsetting and I never ever wanted to see what happened,” a regular competitor who was sent the video said this week.
New Zealand rallying will learn some valuable lessons from this tragic accident, and it’s hoped that some even more valuable life lessons will be learnt by a small number of people who do not understand the effect of images of the accident on the close-knit rallying community.
Rest In Peace Kevin Corin. I never knew you, but respected your work immensely. You’ll be sadly missed.
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