During the Clare Stages Rally, Damien Fleming died in a horrific car accident at Glencolumbkile near Carron. The victim was declared dead on the spot.
At around 1:30 p.m., two cars crashed during the fourth stage of the Clare Stages Rally, killing Fleming at the scene.
Consequently, the authorities utilized emergency services immediately to stop the event.
Damien Fleming, born in Kilcumming, County Kerry, Ireland, was a veteran co-driver and rally car racer. He celebrated participation in over 150 competitions since 2006.
The veteran racer also ran an e-bike business and was a plumber in Dublin, where he lived for some time before eventually moving back to Kerry.
His fellow racers believed Fleming was very helpful and always ready to help anyone during the motorsport events.
However, Fleming suffered an unfortunate accident, killing him at the scene. Meanwhile, his co-driver was not injured.
Further, the authorities took the other crash victim to the hospital.
Following his death, Kerry Motor Club expressed their heartfelt condolences on Facebook. Fleming was the winner of the Kerry Winter Rally in 2015.
The veteran racer had the accident on the fourth stage of the 2023 Clare Stages Rally that Clare Motor Club organizes.
Damien Fleming Accident Clare Rally Crash
The famous Irish rally racer lost his life to an unfortunate accident in the Clare Rally when two cars collided, killing Fleming on the spot.
The National Ambulance Service was quick to respond to the incident. Meanwhile, the authorities also alerted the Emergency Aeromedical Service while the emergency crew at the event responded to the incident.
No reports are available on what caused the accident that led to the racer’s death while injuring one other driver.
However, it is believed that following a car crash, the driver was checking the damages to his car and was eventually hit by an oncoming car.
Motorsport Ireland released a statement that said they would conduct a full investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
Furthermore, authorities closed the road to public traffic to ensure no public vehicles or drivers were harmed.
The roads are yet to open, a Garda spokesperson stated. The accident scene is preserved for examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators.
The investigators have requested anyone with information to contact Ennis Garda Station, the Garda Confidential Line, or any Garda station to help with the investigation process.
Gone Too Soon: Tribute From Family And Friends
Following the driver’s death, his loved ones have poured in messages of love and condolences across social media.
Mark Fleming, Damien’s brother, wrote on social media, “Rest in peace, Damien. You loved rallying. All you wanted was to be in a rally car. We will miss you every day.”
Similarly, the owners of the Micra Challenge also took to social media to share their condolences to the late driver’s family.
Fleming had participated in the Micra Challenge earlier this year.
Likewise, Motorsport Ireland extended their heartfelt sympathies to the victim’s friends and family. They also urged the public not to share any footage of the tragedy online.
Additionally, councilor Martin Grady, from Killarney, mentioned that it was a sad day for their local community and motorsport for losing Fleming.
He insisted Fleming was interested in motorsport from a young age and felt the loss was especially hard.
The councilor further praised Fleming as an experienced rally driver and thanked him for having been involved with the Killarney Motor Club for so long.
Additionally, Killarney and District Motor Club wished a speedy recovery to the driver, who was hospitalized after the accident.
The deceased racer’s body has been transferred to University Hospital Limerick, awaiting a post-mortem.
