Accident claim news

Motorbike accident kills Dakar Rally rider

A Frenchman who died during the Dakar Rally may have lost his life because of a motorbike accident and not, as previously thought, as the result of a heart attack.

Race authorities said last Saturday that Eric Aubijoux died from natural causes after completing the penultimate 14th stage of the notorious rally but further investigation has revealed that this was not the case.

The rally's general director, Gilbert Ysern, told a French newspaper that the 42-year-old is now thought to have suffered fatal personal injuries in a motorcycle accident.

He said, "Medical tests appear to show that there were fractures and local police have collected witness accounts which seem to indicate that there was an accident.

"When we released the first statement and said it was a heart attack, we based ourselves on the medical information we had then. It was never our intention to hide anything."

Eric Aubijoux was a motocross enthusiast who, in 18th place, was competing in his sixth Dakar Rally. He is the 50th person to die during the 29 years of the rally and the second to be killed in a motorbike accident during this year's event.