Rising motorsport star Copparam Shreyas Hareesh dies aged 13 after suffering a catastrophic head injury during motorcycle race in India
- The young star skidded off at turn one, lost his helmet, and was hit from behind
- He was rushed to a local hospital and was pronounced dead shortly after
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Copparam Shreyas Hareesh, a 13-year-old rising motorsports star in his native India, has died after a fatal accident on Saturday during the FMSCI-Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship.
Hareesh suffered from a catastrophic head injury while losing control of his bike at a turn at the Madras International Circuit.
He was competing in the third round of that day’s rookie race – one which he qualified on pole position.
At the first turn of the race, Hareesh skidded out and his helmet went flying off his head. A trailing rider then struck him – which was the cause of the injuries.
He was rushed to a local hospital via an ambulance and was pronounced dead a short time afterwards. The remainder of the race was canceled.
13-year-old Copparam Shreyas Hareesh has died in a motorcycle racing accident in India
Many in the Indian motorsport community mourned the loss of the youngster who was born and raised in Bengaluru.
‘It is tragic to have lost a rider so young and talented,’ Madras Motor Sports Club President Ajit Thomas said in a statement. ‘Shreyas, who was making waves with his prodigious racing talent, was provided medical assistance on the spot immediately after the incident and taken to the hospital.
‘Under the circumstances, we have decided to cancel this weekend’s program. The MMSC offers heartfelt condolences, and our thoughts are with his family.’
His father – who shared the same name – even went so far as to leave his job at a pharmaceutical company to help his son pursue the sport full time.
‘He was the growing face of Indian motorsport, he had all the potential to be on a global platform. We will miss him,’ said Arvind Singh, a former racer and a race organizer.
He added, ‘His father took him wherever there were racing competitions and gave him great exposure.
‘In 2021, he participated in a race near Sringeri, which I had organized. I spent two days with him and most of the time, he spoke only about racing.’
This is the second death at the Madras Circuit this year, after veteran racer KE Kumar also succumbed to injuries from an accident during a national car racing championship in January.
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