A festive motorsport event in Ecuador turned into a nightmare when a rally car lost control and slammed into spectators, killing two people and injuring three others.
The deadly crash happened Wednesday afternoon during the annual “Return to Ecuador” race in Ambato, a city in the central province of Tungurahua. Dozens had lined a narrow two-lane road to watch the high-speed action when tragedy struck.
The victims were identified as Santiago Ortiz, 52, and 21-year-old model and dancer Daniela Espín. Ortiz’s 13-year-old son was among the injured and later had both legs amputated after emergency surgery. Espín’s twin sister was also hurt but has since been released from hospital.
Caught on Camera
Shocking video filmed by spectators shows the rally car — driven by Mauricio Herdoiza with co-driver José Sevilla — tearing down the road at high speed. It narrowly missed two men filming before swerving violently off the pavement.
Another clip captures the moment the car mowed through a group of fans, slammed into a parked vehicle, then flipped into the air. Chaos erupted as terrified onlookers scattered, some falling in the scramble to escape. One man tripped and rolled away just as a tire nearly crushed him.
Seconds from the Finish Line
Local outlet Infobae reported that the car was less than 1,000 feet from the finish line when disaster struck. Miraculously, both the driver and passenger emerged without injuries.
Ortiz and his son had reportedly been there to cheer on a relative competing in the race. Espín had come to see her first rally with two of her sisters. “They went out together… and only one returned,” her grieving mother, Margarita Espín, told El Comercio.
Relatives said they learned of the crash through social media and became frantic when Daniela failed to respond to their messages.