Rally star Craig Breen (33) died in an accident – Solberg in shock

Rally star Craig Breen died on Thursday in an accident ahead of the upcoming WC rally in Croatia.

Breen’s car manufacturer Hyundai confirms the death in a statement on social media, writes NTB.

The 33-year-old from Ireland is in sixth place in the WC summary in the highest rally class.

– I am in shock after learning this three minutes ago, says the Norwegian rally world champion, Petter Solberg to VG.

He knew Craig Been well.

– I have no words and am completely sick, says a very affected Solberg to VG. He is scheduled to travel to Croatia to test the car with his son Oliver on Friday.

The accident that cost Breen his life happened during a test run before the WC round in the Balkans. It is scheduled to run from 20 to 23 April, starting from the Croatian capital Zagreb.

Norwegian rally driver Mads Østberg knew Breen well. He was devastated when NTB contacted him.

– I just found out about this. He was a person I appreciated. We were teammates for several seasons, says Østberg.

The 33-year-old became fully professional as early as 2009. He participated in 81 WC rallies, but won none overall. He got 30 victories in speed trials.