Someone Crashed a Legendary Lancia Rally Car Into a Crowd in Italy

A group of onlookers at the 2024 Turin Motor Show was struck by a Lancia 037 rally car, of all things, on Saturday morning in northern Italy. The driver lost control inexplicably and veered into the crowd during a procession of rare motorsport and otherwise exotic machines through the Piazza San Carlo, also known as St. Charles Square.

The official reason for the is crash unknown as ANSA reports, but the scene looked all too familiar, like one of those incidents often witnessed at car meets where some unsuspecting motorist is struck by the driver of a departing muscle car. Local cars and coffee events can sometimes end in disaster, but in this case, the stakes were raised by the driver of a Lancia Rally 037: a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive machine that competed in the World Rally Championship’s infamous Group B class during the 1980s. The consequences of the mistake were serious not only due to the priceless car crashed, but the human cost as well.

Early reports from Italian outlets ANSA and Notizie counted 12 onlookers who were harmed in the crash, but that was later raised to a total of 15 individuals in more recent reports. By most accounts, those struck suffered minor injuries. But one of them was a young woman who allegedly suffered a broken leg, and Notizie now reports that a man was rushed to urgent care after the incident. The man underwent surgery at a local hospital to treat a deep laceration in his groin.

Footage of the crash was captured by many onlookers at the auto show and posted on YouTube over the weekend. Footage from other vantage points has been trickling onto the internet, including a short video posted by TikToktube, which was taken by someone standing just a few feet away from where the Lancia struck the crowd.

The Lancia can be heard off-camera revving hard, apparently preparing for a pull through the plaza that would wow the auto show’s attendants. The car starts to accelerate but suddenly veers to the right and strikes the barricades lining the plaza, behind which the multitude of people were standing. First responders rush in to render aid, and someone climbs out of the Lancia’s passenger seat apparently unharmed.

Police are investigating the cause of the crash, but no explanation as to what led the driver to lose control of the vehicle has been shared yet. The 2024 Turin Auto Show was set to run for three days, from September 13 through 16. The auto show went on following the crash, but the incident cast a shadow on the proceedings of the famous event, which first took place in Turin in 1900, making it one of the oldest auto shows anywhere.

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