Bertil Rehnfeldt & Lars-Erik Torph's Fatal Crash @ Rallye de Monte-Carlo 1989
- 8 months ago
Lars-Erik Torph and Bertil Rune Rehnfeldt, rally competitors themselves, were not entered in the 1989 Rallye de Monte-Carlo, but they only worked as reconnaissance team for their young country-fellow Fredrik Skoghag who was rallying with co-driver Peter Diekmann in a private Lancia Delta Integrale.
During a break, they went to see their colleagues in action during the fifth special stage of the rally. While spectating near Château St.Michel-de-Boulogne, department of Rhône-Alpes, France, Torph and Rehnfeld were involved in a freak accident when the works Lancia Delta Integrale #8 driven by Alessandro Fiorio-Luigi Pirollo suddenly left the road, after passing over a hump at about 140 km/h. The car went down an embankment, overturned and hit them. Both men were killed at the scene, three other spectators were also injured.
After the double tragedy Fredrik Skoghag and Peter Diekmann decided to withdraw from the event, as a sign of mourning. Presumably the accident was caused by driving problems with a new electronic clutch used by Lancia works team for the first time in the Rallye de Monte-Carlo. Due to the same trouble, Alessandro Florio had already gone off the road during the first special stage the previous day, injuring two spectators. In consequence of this accident the stage was stopped.
At the time Lars-Erik Torph was one of the most prominent Swedish rallymen. Aged 28, he came from Säffle, central Sweden, and had started his career in the late 1970s driving a Volvo 142 in national rallies.
Born in Danderyd, Sweden, the experienced Bertil Rune Rehnfeldt was a 51-year-old Swedish man who had a career that spanned over twenty-five seasons as co-driver in national rallies. He competed alongside different drivers, including the Swedish motorsport legend Bo Ljungfeldt, with which he co-drove a Ford Anglia in 1960, scoring a remarkable class win in the Midnight Rally in Sweden and a 3rd place in the Tulpenrallye.
R.I.P
During a break, they went to see their colleagues in action during the fifth special stage of the rally. While spectating near Château St.Michel-de-Boulogne, department of Rhône-Alpes, France, Torph and Rehnfeld were involved in a freak accident when the works Lancia Delta Integrale #8 driven by Alessandro Fiorio-Luigi Pirollo suddenly left the road, after passing over a hump at about 140 km/h. The car went down an embankment, overturned and hit them. Both men were killed at the scene, three other spectators were also injured.
After the double tragedy Fredrik Skoghag and Peter Diekmann decided to withdraw from the event, as a sign of mourning. Presumably the accident was caused by driving problems with a new electronic clutch used by Lancia works team for the first time in the Rallye de Monte-Carlo. Due to the same trouble, Alessandro Florio had already gone off the road during the first special stage the previous day, injuring two spectators. In consequence of this accident the stage was stopped.
At the time Lars-Erik Torph was one of the most prominent Swedish rallymen. Aged 28, he came from Säffle, central Sweden, and had started his career in the late 1970s driving a Volvo 142 in national rallies.
Born in Danderyd, Sweden, the experienced Bertil Rune Rehnfeldt was a 51-year-old Swedish man who had a career that spanned over twenty-five seasons as co-driver in national rallies. He competed alongside different drivers, including the Swedish motorsport legend Bo Ljungfeldt, with which he co-drove a Ford Anglia in 1960, scoring a remarkable class win in the Midnight Rally in Sweden and a 3rd place in the Tulpenrallye.
R.I.P