Double fatality in NZ rallysprint
- 26th February 2024, 11:05am
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by Peter Whitten
- Photos by Geoff Ridder
New Zealand’s rallying community is in mourning after the tragic deaths of two competitors in a rallysprint on Sunday afternoon.
Fifteen-year-old Brooklyn Horan and his co-driver, Tyson Jemmett, 35, left the road and landed in water on the Arcadia Road Rallysprint, with both competitors fatally injured before emergency services crews arrived.
Brooklyn Horan is the son of regular New Zealand Rally Championship front-runner, Raana, and was driving a Ford Fiesta Rally4 in the event.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of these two competitors and all involved with the Arcadia Road Rallysprint,” said MotorSport New Zealand President, Wayne Christie.
“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.”
Police investigator, Jeff Cramp, told the New Zealand Herald: “Rally cars have whoopsies all the time when competing, just the difference in this one is the fact the car went into a swollen stream and was submerged.
“Tragically, they couldn’t get out of the vehicle. That’s the fundamental difference: the fact that it went into a swollen river and submerged.”
The accident has put a dark cloud over the close-knit New Zealand motorsport community.
Brooklyn was also a circuit racer and was midway through the season as part of the Toyota 86 Championship.
Tyson Jemmett was a co-driver with much experience under his belt. He was a regular note caller for Matt Jensen, who is hoping to contest this year’s Australian championship in a Mazda2 AP4.
RallySport Magazine sends its deepest condolences to the families of both competitors.
