Co-Driver Erin Kelly Killed in New England Forest Rally Crash
Erin Kelly, co-driver in Pullen Away Rally Team's 1998 Subaru Impreza Outback in the American Rally Association and a staple in the northeast rally community, died after a crash on Friday in the New England Forest Rally. Kelly was 48.
The crash occurred on the Icicle Brook stage of the rally, run Friday afternoon. Kelly was pronounced dead at the scene. PART driver TJ Pullen was reportedly taken to the hospital after the crash. The was the event's fifth stage over a planned three days, but the ARA ultimately announced a decision to cancel the remainder of the event early Saturday morning.
Kelly's death is the third in a particularly rough stretch for the close-knit American rallying community. Al Dantes Jr., who ran an LS-swapped RX-7, was killed in a crash while stopped at a gas station in October. The death of Ken Block, a long-time participant in American stage rally in addition to his long career championing the sport worldwide, followed in January.
The news of Kelly’s death ruptured the rally community Saturday, with many friends and fellow competitors posting tribute messages online. Block's long-time co-driver Alex Gelsomino shared a statement on social media, calling Kelly "a great competitor and an even more amazing human being." Subaru Motorsports USA added that it "[mourns] her loss together with the community." ARA competition director Preston Osborn shared a story about competing against Kelly with Dirtfish, adding that "everybody’s in shock right now, but the competitor sentiment here in New England was clear... With everything so fresh, nobody was really feeling in the right place to be on the stages."
The American Rally Association has set up a fund in Kelly's name through USAC's Race Aid. Those wishing to support the Kelly family after the crash can do so through that fund.
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