Indian-rider CS Santosh put under medically induced coma after crash in Stage 4 of Dakar 2021 

Indian rally ace CS Santosh’s Dakar 2021 campaign came to an end after he suffered a heavy crash on Stage 4. The crash took place on stage 4 of the rally which has resulted in Santosh to suffer from a head injury. The 37-year old rider was airlifted to hospital in Riyadh after being resuscitated by a fellow competitor. He is currently in an induced coma. But Hero MotoSports has confirmed that he is in stable condition.

 

 

 

 

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CS Santosh crashed on a gravel track at around 135km and was attended to Husqvarna’s Paul Spierings, who was the first to arrive at the scene. Due to the impact, Santosh is said to have a minor clot in his head. The ASO has since confirmed that he’s being treated for a suspected head injury and has been placed in a medically-induced coma before he can undergo further scans.

The incident occurred on the same stage where last year, Hero MotoSport rider Paulo Goncalves lost his life while competing in the Dakar in 2020. Hero MotoSport had retired the entire team following the loss of Goncalves last year. However, the organising team has taken many safety measures and new regulations to ensure the safety of the competitors this year.

This was CS Santosh’s seventh attempt at the gruelling Dakar Rally. After completing Stage 3, the Indian rider was up to 34th place.