[Sunny_01]

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...284278,00.html

McRae Believed To Be On Crash Helicopter
Updated: 23:48, Saturday September 15, 2007

Rally driver Colin McRae is believed to among four people killed in a helicopter crash near his country home.
Strathclyde Police have said the 39-year-old star was believed to be on board the aircraft, which crashed at Jerviswood, near Lanark.

Rally driver Colin McRaeThere were four people on board, but no formal identifications have taken place yet.

Police have said extensive damage was done to the Squirrel helicopter, which was carrying four people when it crashed.

There will be no formal identification of any victims this evening.

The air accident investigation team are en route to establish the cause of the crash.

The Scottish Ambulance Service confirmed that its own helicopter was despatched to the scene along with three ambulance crews and units from Strathclyde Fire Brigade.

Sky Correspondent James Matthews said: "My understanding is that the helicopter involved is registered to Colin McRae, the former world rally champion former world rally champion.

"He lives on an estate where this crash took place, the Jervis Wood estate just outside Lanark in the central belt of Scotland.

"All police will say it that they are in touch with the family to try to establish the identity of those on board the helicopter."

[Milena]

God, that's really bad.

[Scarlett.]

OMG!

[Jackie]

Hopefully its not him.

[Conzors]

God Thats Bad..

Who Is he?

[Scarlett.]

Originally posted by jackie46
Hopefully its not him.

it sounds like it

[Scarlett.]

Originally posted by Conzors
God Thats Bad..

Who Is he?

A Rally Driver

[Red Moon]

A very very famous Rally Driver... it on Radio 5 live now.

They won't know if he was on the helicopter formally until the morning.

[gracie24]

Oh God this is awful!!!
He's such a legend.....
I'll be gutted if he's not alive!

[Milena]

The thing is though, even if it's not him, there are still 4 people dead. So either way, it's pretty tragic.

[Scarlett.]

R.I.P
to the four people who died

[Red Moon]

Here is a picture of Colin.

A lot of people will also know him because the series of computer and console games he has put his name too.

[James]

This is awful news.

[Benji]

that is such a shock to hear that.

I am feeling really bad for all the celebs that have passed away recently,

Mike reid,
Paverotti
Jane tomlinson
Anita (Body shop)
Colin MCrae

im sure there is somoone else on the list. Its a real shock this year. They are quite big names.

[Red Moon]

Rally ace Colin McRae dies in air crash

COLIN McRAE, the former world rally champion, died along with his five-year-old son Johnny when his helicopter crashed near Lanark in Scotland yesterday. Two other people on board, believed to be close friends of McRae, also died. Jean-Eric Freudiger, the driver’s agent, confirmed McRae’s wife Alison and daughter Hollie were not on board.

The Squirrel aircraft came down in Jervis Wood near Lanark just after 4pm and immediately burst into flames. Strathclyde police said the damage to the helicopter was so bad that it could not immediately be determined how many people were on board. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been called in to investigate the cause of the crash.

The Scottish Ambulance Service said its own helicopter was despatched to the scene along with three ambulance crews. Strathclyde Fire Service also had units in attendance at the scene.

McRae was one of the most popular and successful drivers the sport has seen. He won 25 rallies in the World Rally Championship, finished on the podium 42 times and claimed the world championship itself in 1995. The next year he was awarded an MBE. He won a host of fans throughout the world, captivated by his daredevil style – he became as well known for his spectacular spills as for his victories.

He achieved his greatest successes with Subaru, before helping to transform the fortunes of Ford. He signed for the team in 1999 and won two races, a feat he repeated the following year. In 2001 he came within a whisker of winning the world championship again but was pipped to the title by fellow Briton Richard Burns. The two men seemed set for a rivalry that would last for years, and captivate the sport, but in a cruel twist of fate, Burns was forced to quit when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Burns fought a brave battle before dying in November 2005 – exactly four years after winning his title.

McRae won two more rallies for Ford in 2002, but the team did not renew his contract at the end of the season, and, incredibly, he found himself without a drive. He took part in various celebrity events, pulling in big crowds wherever he drove, and in 2004 he finished third in the GT class of the Le Mans 24-hour race.

He also took part in the Dakar rally. In 2005 he recorded two fastest times and was leading the event by more than six minutes when his Nissan hit a hidden ledge and catapulted end over end at high speed. Amazingly, McRae and his co-driver escaped serious injury.

McRae was one of the most flamboyant drivers in British sport and inspired one of the world’s best-selling computer rally games. His father, Jimmy, was five times British rally champion, and his son inherited his love of cars.

McRae’s brother, Alister, a former British rally champion, is in Australia.

Source: The Sunday Times

[Ruth*Star]

Oh no...Thats such a shame, i heard about the crash, but i asummed he wasn't on it.
R.i.P

[Jackie]

My thoughts go out to his wife and daughter at this sad time x

[Milena]

Tragic. Absolutely tragic. R.I.P.

[MarkWaldorf]

Sad news. My thoughts go out to his family. RIP.

[newcastlefan]

RIP) Colin mccrae I remember his games Colin mcrae rally

[Mrluvaluva]

When I heard this today I was stunned.

[robroy_2000]

Colin McRae dies in helicopter crash
with his son

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...5001/1024/FREE

[Matt08]

Heard this on the news this morning.

[Ruth*Star]

Yeah theres a thread in news stories, its so tragic.

[Scarlett.]

R.I.P Colin