Japanese motorcylist Shoya Tomizawa dies aged 19 after crash in San Marino

September 5, 2010

Shoya Tomizawa, a 19-year-old Japanese motorcycle racer from Chiba, has died after being involved in a crash at the Misano World Circuit during the San Marino Grand Prix. While on lap 12 of the race, Tomizawa fell in Turn 10, a fast right-hand corner called the Curvone, when he was forced wide and lost grip in his rear tyre. He was then hit by the motorbikes of both Alex de Angelis and Scott Redding. He was immediately attended to by the on-track medical staff and transported to a local hospital in Riccione where he later died.

Valentino Rossi, the MotoGP world champion, commented on Tomizawa's death. He said, "I found out now, when things like this happen nothing else matters. He was a lovely guy, it was a horrible accident."

Paolo Giovagnoli, the prosecutor of the Province of Rimini (in which the Misano World Circuit is located), is reported to have launched an investigation into the death that could lead to criminal charges. The race was not stopped so that Tomizawa could be treated at the track. Instead, he was quickly carried from the track on a stretcher, which was dropped when he was being carried across some gravel.