Gumball 3000 rally cancelled after fatal accident

Posted Fri May 4 2007 12:34 AM by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

We’ve always been fans of the Gumball concept here at MotorAuthority – driving fast cars across countries while hanging out with celebrities and generally having a good time. Sadly, the 2007 event, which promised to be bigger and better than ever before, has been cancelled due to a fatal accident in Albania. Two British drivers in a Porsche 911 were involved in a high-speed accident with a VW Golf in which a man died and his wife remains in critical condition. According to a Gumball official, “The Golf pulled out from a stop sign and Mr Morley and McConville tried to swerve around it but clipped the side of the car.”

Update: The man's wife has now passed away due to injuries sustained from the accident.

The two men involved are Nick Morley and Matt McConville, who both work in the same property development company. The drivers apparently left the scene of the accident and were caught by authorities shortly afterwards trying to get away in a Russian-registered BMW M6.

The Gumball rally has always skirted the edges of the law, content with terrorising small countries with rich people driving fast cars. Its motto has always been ‘it’s not a race, it’s a rally,’ but this has never been taken very seriously by the participants. Having seen video from the rally and the dangerous driving involved, we’re surprised that this is the first fatality after nine years of running.

Founder and CEO of the Gumball Rally, Maximillion Cooper, released the following statement:

Following our earlier release reporting yesterday’s accident - As a sign of respect we have decided that this year's Gumball 3000 Rally will not travel any further and will end in Bratislava this evening, May 3rd 2007.

As the organisers of the rally we feel that it should be stopped as a mark of respect to Vladimir Cepulyoski who died today after an accident involving one the participating drivers.

We are very saddened by what has happened and feel that it would be wrong to continue. On behalf of Gumball 3000, we once again extend our deepest sympathies to his family and we are doing everything we can for them.

This is the first time anything like this has happened in 9 years of travelling through over 40 countries with 1000's of drivers and it is with deep regret that I make this announcement.

Reader Comments

Fri May 4 2007 2:30 AM
AJacobson says

So it finally happened, who would have thought...

My deepest condolences to the victims and their kin and in contrast to the hypocritical gumball crowd I really, really mean it.

While news-sites report of the suckers cowardly trying to flee the scene of the crime (you are calling this "terrorist" driving an accident?) across the border in the car of another participating team, the "official" version on the gumball main page reads "I am informed that the incident was reported immediately by the drivers. Both drivers are extremely traumatised by this occurrence."

And trying to brush off the responsibility of organising this madness is just as classy: "The event is organised with each local authorities support and permission, and drivers are under strict stipulation to abide by the laws and road regulations of the country they are driving through." Yeah, right. That's why the German authorities seized as many cars as possible, because everything was happening with the blessing of the authorities and after so many years, speed tickets, non-lethal crashes and interventions of authorities the never-ending repetition of "it's a rally not a race" rings hollow like a death bell. A lie remains a lie, no matter how often you repeat it.

I sincerely hope this was the last event of that sort.

AJ
Fri May 4 2007 3:52 AM
admin says

Well put AJ. Sadly there are a lot of people out there that have more money than sense.

These two guys - I believe they're both around 30 - will have to remember this incident for the rest of their lives.
Fri May 4 2007 12:44 PM
keebie says

its a bad week, an autoblog member killed a pedestrian in a mustang gt-500. lost control during a shift. keep the screwing around to the track
Sun May 6 2007 7:41 PM
John says

> These two guys - I believe theyâ€™re both around 30 -
> will have to remember this incident for the rest of
> their lives.

They won't. When you are 30 you either "got it" and grew up, or you didn't. The two apparently didn't get it. They will try to buy their way out of the "problem". Once the "problem" has been "fixed", they will deny they ever did something wrong. That other car didn't have to be there at that time, did it? How could they dare to be there, getting in the way of some selfish, fun-loving multimillionaires?

And they will continue with stupid activities, to fill up their empty and useless lives with some action.
Mon May 14 2007 5:41 AM
Vasil Calev says

One note!!!

The accident happened in Macedonia, and Mr Morley is now haled by Macedonian authorities. And he already has one attempt of escaping using bribe. Now hi is haled in detention in Struga where he is waiting for his sentence.

MotorAuthority