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British woman killed in Siberia during China to France vintage car rally British woman killed in Siberia during China to France vintage car rally
(about 4 hours later)
A British woman has died in a car crash in Siberia while taking part in a vintage rally. A British woman has been killed on a Siberian road during an intense classic car rally from China to France.
Emma Wilkinson, 46, was killed in a head-on collision between her 1970 Chevrolet C10 and a Volkswagen Polo, according to local police. Emma Wilkinson, a 46-year-old mother of two, was killed when a car ploughed into her pickup on the highway connecting the Siberian cities of Tyumen and Omsk. Her partner, Peter Davies, was also in the car but not injured in the crash.
Wilkinson, who had two children, was taking part in the Peking (Beijing) to Paris Motor Challenge, described as the longest and toughest challenge anyone can drive in a vintage or classic car. Police said the driver of the Volkswagen Polo that crashed into Wilkinson's car may have been asleep at the wheel. A 31-year-old man and a two-month old baby in the Volkswagen were killed, and a woman remains in intensive care.
She was with her partner and fellow participant Peter Davies when the accident occurred on the Tyumen to Omsk federal highway on Wednesday. Wilkinson's death sent shock and grief throughout the Peking to Paris motor challenge, in which 96 vintage cars were recreating a rally that took place in 1907. Motorists endure 33 days of driving, travelling more than 7,500 miles from China through Mongolia and Russia, before making their way to Paris via eastern Europe.
Davies was not injured but a 31-year-old man and a baby who were passengers in the other vehicle were killed and another woman is in intensive care in hospital, Tyumen region police said. "She was just driving down the main road just minding her business – it was an easy section – when a car veered across the road," said Philip Young, the rally's director. "He was going at some speed."
Officers believe the driver of the Polo may have fallen asleep at the wheel moments before the car moved into the path of the oncoming Chevrolet as there were no skid marks and traffic was very light. "There wasn't time for Emma to brake or make any avoiding action," he said. "Both drivers died instantly – it was quicker than you could clap your hands."
The rally's director, Philip Young, said: "Emma was a fun-loving, lively and popular member of the rally. Her fellow rally drivers adorned their cars with black ribbons and travelled with reduced speed on Thursday, the race's 17th day.
"In the three weeks we've been together both she and Peter proved themselves to be capable, competent and resourceful. "An unfortunate accident happened – we're all in a state of shock," Sergei Pospelov, a race organiser, told Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency.
"Their 1970 Chevrolet C10 pickup was a remarkable sight in the Mongolian wilderness and today our thoughts and sympathies are with Emma's family and friends including her two brothers Robert and Mark who are also participating." Young described Wilkinson as "one of the most popular members of the whole rally".
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the death of a British national in Russia on 12 June. We stand ready to provide consular assistance to the family at this difficult time." "She was larger than life," he said. "She could light up a room when she walked in. She made us all laugh."
The 33-day race, which began on 28 May sees competitors travel through some of the most remote and inaccessible areas on the planet as they drive through the Gobi desert, Mongolia and Russia. Two of Wilkinson's brothers were also taking part in the rally, driving a vintage Bentley, Young said. One has flown home to be with family, the other has remained with Davies as they work to repatriate Wilkinson's body.
Russia has one of the worst road safety records in the world, with poor infrastructure and a lax driving culture often to blame. More than 23,000 people were killed on Russia's roads last year.
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