Southland’s HW Richardson Group managing director Scott O’Donnell was one of three people injured last week in New South Wales when their stationary rental vehicle was rear ended by a truck.
The three businessmen were travelling to the annual Bathurst 12 hour race with two other GT3 Endurance Limited team mates as part of a two Porsche team entered in the Class B category.
Christchurch construction company director Phil Mauger, and Christchurch Mag & Turbo warehouse owner Hayden Knighton were seriously injured, while O’Donnell suffered cracked ribs when the truck rear ended their BMW X3 rental car, sending it hurtling into three cars in front of them.
According to The Press, O’Donnell says the car was stopped at a red light in Kelso, some 5km from their final destination, when the truck rear ended them.
“We were stopped dead and this truck just came through and blew into us all, I don’t know what speed but it was enough to do a lot of damage to us and also the car,” he says.
O’Donnell spoke to The Press from his Orange hospital bed and says that Mauger and Knighton were the most seriously injured after being cut from the wreckage and flown to Sydney Hospital.
According to O’Donnell, Knighton has suffered pelvic injuries, while a Mauger family spokesperson says he has been placed in an induced coma due to multiple fractures. Mauger’s partner is by his side and O’Donnell says his son was already in Australia.
O’Donnell’s uncle, Lindsay O’Donnell, was also travelling in the vehicle, but was not admitted to hospital.
The team mates were gunning for a podium spot with their two Porsches in the competitive Class B racing category.
“It’s soul destroying for us as you can imagine because the cars are there and we can’t use them. We paid all the money, the freight, and the preparation…let’s just say, it;s never cheap.”
