Three spectators die after rally car veers off road during race in France

The round town hall in the French town of Ambert,near where the rally was taking place (Picture: Shutterstock / EBASCOL)

Three spectators at a rally event in France have been killed after a car left the road this morning.

A pair of brothers aged 60 and 70 died at the scene,while a 40-year-old father died later in hospital,according to local news outlet La Montagne.

The race was taking place near Ambert in the Puy-de-Dome region west of Lyon this morning. It has now been cancelled.

Local media said the driver,a 22-year-old woman,and her 51-year-old co-driver have been taken to hospital but their condition is not life-threatening.

In a post on X,the Puy-de-Dome prefecture said: ‘This morning,a tragic accident occurred during the Rallye de la Fourme d’Ambert.

‘Following a vehicle in the race going off the road,several spectators were struck.’

It added: ‘Our thoughts are with the victims,their loved ones,and all those affected by this tragedy.’

An investigation into involuntary manslaughter has now been opened.

The mayor of Saint-Just,the commune where the crash happened,said he had ‘a great deal of emotion and sadness’ following the incident.

François Chautard added: ‘My thoughts are especially with the families.

‘The rally has been running for 30 years,and the last two years have seen one disaster after another.’

A 42-year-old race steward was killed during the Rallye de la Fourme d’Ambert almost exactly a year ago,on July 27.

According to France Bleu,he was attending to a car that had rolled off the road when a second car hit him.