Thankfully, most spectators suffered only minor injuries in the crash, which could have easily been prevented
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by Brad Anderson
September 18, 2024 at 13:24
- The crash occurred at the Torino Motor Show, with footage showing the moment of impact.
- Twelve people were injured, with one taken to the hospital with a broken leg.
- Low-grip surface where the driver accelerated may have caused unexpected loss of traction.
Twelve people were injured during the Torino Motor Show in Italy over the weekend after a Lancia 037 Group B rally car crashed into a crowd of spectators.
Footage from the accident shows the Lancia cruising behind a pair of Ferrari race cars and shortly after the driver crossed into a large paved area, they appear to have pinned the throttle. As the car is a rear-wheel drive rally car without traction control, the rear tires quickly lost traction, and the Lancia slid to the right, smashing through a fence and slamming into a group of onlookers.
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Details about the specified 037 involved in the crash are limited, but it’s thought to be one of the roughly 215 examples that were built between 1982 and 1984 and is not a replica. Local publication ANSA claims that twelve people were injured in the crash, and while most only suffered minor injuries, one woman sustained cuts and bruises while another was transported to a local hospital with a suspected broken leg.
Behind the wheel of the car was Barbara Riolgo, a non-professional driver, and the car is said to be owned by her husband Ivano Toppino, a successful coachbuilder in the local area. Sitting in the passenger seat was their 23-year-old daughter Alessia, Open reports.
An official cause for the crash has yet to be given, but we suspect the rally car’s powerful supercharged inline-four-cylinder, rear-wheel drive, and lack of any modern safety systems all contributed. Additionally, the low-grip paved surface where Riolgo hit the gas may have made it lose traction quicker than she anticipated. The owner is also investigating whether the car had any mechanical problems at the time.
Fortunately, things were not as bad as they could have been. If the Lancia was traveling faster, it could have plowed through more of the crowd, injuring others or, even worse, killing someone.