Gardaí have begun an investigation after a 13-year-old girl died when the car she was driving was involved in a crash at a hot rod racing event in west Cork this afternoon.
It is understood the girl was competing at an event at the Cork Autograss Racing Club track near Castletownkenneigh just under 20km west of Bandon when the incident happened at about 3.30pm.
Children over the age of 12 can compete in autograss racing and the dead girl was one of four young teenagers competing in a race where participants drive modified hatchback cars.
It’s understood the girl was approaching a bend in the sand-based track at speed when her car went out of control and crashed into a metal barrier around the perimeter of the track.
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The emergency services were quickly on the scene and worked on the girl after she was removed from the crash car but she was pronounced dead at the scene and was removed to hospital.
Gardaí say a postmortem will take place at the morgue at Cork University Hospital on Monday which they hope will establish the precise cause of the girl’s death.
Gardaí say that they will not release the girl’s name until all next of kin are notified but it’s understood that she was from nearby Tarelton and attended secondary school in Macroom.
According to a garda source, the three other participants in the race – all of whom are young teenagers – were traumatised by the tragedy and are being comforted by family.
It’s understood that there were several hundred spectators at the event and gardaí have begun taking statements from the organisers as well as those who witnessed the crash.
“Anyone who may have camera footage and were attending the event between 3pm and 4pm are asked to make this footage available to investigating gardaí.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact Bandon Garda station on (023) 8852200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station,” they said.
Cork Autograss Racing Club was formed in 1998 from the west Cork Hotrod Club and the club has raced at Castletown Kinneigh track which underwent a major extension in 2010.
Autograss Racing is motor racing on a loose surface track with competitors competing in a variety of modified cars from near road spec 1000cc hatchbacks to full space framed saloons.
Autograss races usually take place on oval tracks of about 400 metres and featuring grass or mud surfaces in vehicles which have most elements stripped out including their trim, dash and seats.
After the girl’s crash, the rest of the day’s racing was suspended.
Kart Paddock, a website that reports on karting events, said on its Instagram account it would not be publishing results on Sunday night.
“Out of respect to the young girl who died in a motorsport even in Cork today there won’t be any winning posts.
“Thoughts and condolences are with the family, friends, teams and everyone in the Autograss Racing Club paddock,” it said.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Gillian Coughlan, chair of the Bandon-Kinsale Municipal District, said she wanted to express “sincere condolences and sympathies to the family and friends” of the young girl.
“Thirteen years of age is such a young life to be taken. It is a very sad day for the locality,” she said.
Cllr Coughlan said the rally was a “long-standing and very well-organised event”.
