Eleven people were injured over the weekend when a Dakar Rally racer speared off the course and into a crowd of spectators. The first proper stage of the rally had not even started yet.

The crash took place on the short ‘prologue’ pre-stage to the rally. 47-year old Chinese driver Guo Meiling somehow lost control of her and shot into the spectators lining the course.

reports that six adults and five children were injured, including a father and son who were both airlifted to a hospital. The son had pulmonary trauma, the father head trauma.

In video shot at the scene of the crash, you can hear spectators pleading “no, no,” as everything goes wrong before the race even began in earnest.

It may be a very tough Dakar this year.

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