Argentine prosecutor opens manslaughter case after spectator dies in fatal rally incident

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A prosecutor has opened a criminal case for manslaughter and negligent injury after one spectator died and two others were hurt after they were hit by a car during the South American Rally Championship.

The prosecutor said on Monday they want to determine if there were failures in signage and safety controls at the incident on Sunday. The prosecutor also ordered investigative measures including technical examinations of the vehicle and witness statements.

Rally governing body the FIA expressed its condolences to the family of the dead spectator in a statement and announced it will provide full support to the organizers and local authorities in the investigation.

The Volkswagen Polo raced by Paraguayan pair Didier Arias and Héctor Núñez went off the road at high speed on a curve and rolled. It struck a group of fans on a rocky outcrop in the town of Mina Clavero in Córdoba province, about 800 kilometers north of Buenos Aires.

A 25-year-old man died from severe multiple injuries, and a woman suffered chest trauma and a broken ankle. The drivers were unharmed.

The rally was suspended.

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