Spanish rally car co-driver Laura Salvo, 21, died after a fatal accident in the first stage of the Rally Vidreiro in Portugal earlier today (October 10, 2020). It is understood that the 21-year-old’s car veered off the road and slammed into the tree on the right-hand side of the road. Miguel Socias was driving the car and the medics rushed to the scene within two minutes of the crash.

21-year-old Spanish rally car co-driver Laura Salvo passed away during the first stage of the Rally Vidreiro in Portugal after her car veered off the road and smashed into another vehicle before slamming into a pine tree. ‘The car collapsed about 500/600 meters from the beginning of the first section when it hit a pine tree', the chief of Marinha Grande Volunteer Firefighters, Vítor Graça, told Mundo Deportivo.

It is understood that attempts to rescue Laura were initially successful and she was stabilised and being transported, already intubated, to a landing zone about 980 feet away from the crash site. But it was reported that Laura Salvo, who has been a co-driver since 2015 died of cardiac arrest before she could be brought to the nearest hospital.

The president of the Marina Grande Automobile Club explained the incident on the LiveStream of the competition. ‘Unfortunately, we have to report a death in our rally. Competitor Laura Salvo, who was competing as a navigator in the Peugeot Rally Cup Iberica, suffered an accident at the beginning of the first stage that caused her death,’ he said.

Laura Salvo competed alongside Socias last season in the Suzuki Swift Cup and started 2020 by winning the Rally del Bierzo. Her sister, Maria Salvo, is also a well-known rally co-driver and their father Gabriel was a rally driver.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 11, 2020 12:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).