I can't compete at Donegal while pal Brian Hoy recovers after horror crash, says Kris Meeke
Hoy is currently recovering from an accident that happened on the Cavan Stages Rally; he was sitting alongside Garry Jennings when their Ford Fiesta Rally2 went off the road and hit a tree.
Jennings said the cause of the crash was due to the supermini getting out of shape over a small jump.
Thanks to the quick thinking of fellow competitors Cathan McCourt and Barry McNulty and Declan Boyle and Patrick McCrudden, he said they both owed their lives to them.
Jennings sustained a broken leg, sternum, ribs, shoulder and wrist in the incident, while Hoy has been receiving treatment for a broken leg and arm.
As such, former World Rally Championship event winner Meeke has decided to pull his Donegal Rally entry, with the 45-year-old also citing the tragic death of Dai Roberts on the second day of the Duns-based Jim Clark Rally as another reason.
Roberts' driving mate James Williams was conveyed to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where he has since undergone surgery, with his condition said to be stable and the prognosis 'positive'.
Posting on social media, Meeke wrote: 'I had hoped to be out on Donegal International Rally this year, and Brian Hoy was due to co-drive.
'Unfortunately, Brian was badly injured last weekend in a rally with Garry Jennings.
'Out of respect to Brian and the tragic events on the Jim Clark Rally, I felt uneasy to search around for a co-driver who I'd no experience with. So, finally we decided to postpone our entry until the future.
'Huge thanks to all who put in the effort to put everything together. Wishing Brian Hoy and Garry Jennings all the strength in their recovery,' added Meeke, whose previous outing on Irish soil came in 2009 at the Midland Stages Rally.
Meanwhile, a JustGiving page set up to support the wife and two children of Dai Roberts has so far raised over £126,900.
Those behind the idea have said the money will go to cover funeral costs and provide ongoing support.
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