MotoGP Death

MotoGP was struck by tragedy Sunday during the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang Sunday when "Super Sic" Marco Simoncelli perished in a second-lap crash.

The 24-year-old Italian lost control of his San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V at turn 11, and slide towards the inside of the track.

During the wreck, Simoncelli's AGV helmet came off as he was struck by Monster Tech 3 Yamaha's Colin Edwards and Ducati Team's Valentino Rossi.

The race was immediately red flagged as ambulance took an unconscious Simoncelli to Sepang's medical center. MotoGP officials subsequently canceled the Malaysian GP. Despite efforts to resuscitate him, Simoncelli was pronounced dead at 4:56 p.m. local time. 

As for Edwards, he dislocated his shoulder during the crash, and Rossi was able to return to the paddock aboard the Ducati GP11.1.

Following the fatal MotoGP crash, Race Direction held a press conference with Medical Director Doctor Michele Macchiagodena.

Dr. Michele Macchiagodena says: "I'm very sad to be here to report about the death of Marco Simoncelli, a friend. Because of the crash he had during the race, in which he was hit by other riders, he suffered a very serious trauma to the head, to the neck and the chest. When our medical staff got to him he was unconscious.

"In the ambulance because there was a cardiac arrest they started CPR (cardiac pulmonary resuscitation). Immediately in the Medical Centre, with the help also of the Doctor of our staff at the Clinica Mobile and local Doctors, he was intubated and it was possible to take off some blood from the thorax. The CPR was continued for 45 minutes because we tried to help him for as long as we thought it was possible. Unfortunately it was not possible to help him and at 16:56 (local time) we had to declare he was dead."

Simoncelli, who raced as 58, was the first racer to die of traumatic injuries sustained in a crash in the premier class of the modern MotoGP era. The last tragic crash involved Shoya Tomizawa at Misano during Moto2 in September, 2010.

The staff at Ultimate MotorCycling, along with many of the MotoGP teams riders and sponsors, extends our deepest condolences to Simoncelli's family and friends at this tragic loss.