Shortly after the start of the first stage of the Rally de La Rioja, Gabriel Pozzo lost control of his Subaru Impreza passing over a bump. The car went off the road and hit a group of spectators, and crashing into a parked car. The accident happened on Friday, 03 April 1998, near the small village of La Medialuna, province of La Rioja, Argentina, only one and a half kilometer after the start-line of Las Padercitas.<br /><br />Gabriel Pozzo and his co-driver escaped unhurt, two young spectators were seriously injured. Martín Dellepiane, aged 14 had one broken leg; Hugo Sánchez, 16, suffered extensive head and neck injuries. He was taken by rescuers to the Policlinico Ministro Julio César Corzo in La Rioja, remaining in a coma for about 72 hours. Being the state of health still worrying, Hugo Sánchez was transferred to the Sanatorio Allende of Córdoba, where he died on Monday, 06 April 1998.<br /><br />The Rally de La Rioja was the second round of the 1998 Campeonato Argentino de Rally. Raúl Suffán in a Toyota Celica entered by team Menem Competición was the winner.<br /><br />R.I.P
