The past Sunday will be remembered as a dreaded one and a day of mourning after a collision that involved multiple motorcycles claimed the lives of two riders. Bernat Martinez and Daniel Rivas Fernandez, both from Spain, succumbed to injuries, despite being rushed to nearby hospitals.
Martinez, 35, was transported to the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP) in Monterey by ambulance, but there was nothing the doctors could do for him. He died in the hospital with multiple severe injuries. Martinez, of Alberic, Valencia, Spain, had raced in sever Moto2 rounds in 2010 and had a podium finish in MotoAmerica this year in the Atlanta round.
Fernandez hailed from Moana Galicia, Spain and was 27. After the crash, he was airlifted to the Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, where he also succumbed to his injuries. Sixth last year in the FIM CEV Repsol Championship in the Superbike class, he also finished second in the Superbike class at Motorland Aragon this year. Between 2010 and 2013 he raced several times in Moto2, also.
The exact dynamics of the crash are being investigated
It is yet uncertain how the crash took place, and the very few recordings that made it on the internet so far only show at least five riders being involved in the accident. Nobody knows what exactly caused the crash in the first place, though one of the short videos appears to show a bike that is slowing down ahead of Turn 1.
The video below has the best quality of what we saw so far, but again, it only shows the riders crashing on the track and in the gravel trap ahead of Turn 1, with the cause of the accident remaining to be identified.
"I really don't have any words to describe what we all feel. First and foremost, is the loss to the families and loved ones. Our sincere condolences goes out to each and every one of them as well as the MotoAmerica family. They are in our thoughts and prayers," said Wayne Rainey, MotoAmerica president.
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