Riders die after serious accident at the Moto1000GP Cascavel stage

Riders Érico Veríssimo da Rocha and André Veríssimo Cardoso died this Sunday (27) after a serious accident suffered during the second race of the Cascavel stage of the Moto1000GP , class of the Brazilian Motorcycle Championship .

The accident occurred on the first lap of the race (see below). André ended up slipping off the bike at the exit of the second leg of the twin curves, in an early acceleration stretch, and slipped, ending up in the middle of the track.

He even got up, but was immediately hit by another motorcycle, belonging to Érico, being thrown with force to the side of the track. A third pilot had to move to the protective wall to avoid a second crash.

The race directors immediately interrupted the race, which was not resumed, and care was started immediately afterwards with the arrival of the medical team. With the interruption, the event that would follow, an endurance event with an expected duration of two hours, was also suspended.

According to the category, the two pilots were taken to the hospital in a very serious condition and, shortly afterwards, Érico's death was confirmed.

"Moto1000GP deeply regrets to inform the death of the pilot Érico Verissimo da Rocha after a serious accident during the fourth stage of the championship, which was being held at the Autódromo Internacional de Cascavel", says the official statement of the category. "The 38-year-old driver was involved in a very serious accident during the first lap of the GP 1000 category".

"After the accident, the pilot, who was sent for hospital treatment following all the protocols of the sport in a very serious condition, could not resist the injuries and his death was confirmed".

"Moto1000GP, following official information, cancels all track activities for the fourth stage of the Brazilian Motorcycle Championship. The Moto1000GP family sends all our prayers to the rider, family, friends and admirers".

About an hour later, confirmation of André's death came. According to information obtained from the pilot's father, he suffered a cardiac arrest, was revived by midfielders and was hospitalized in a very serious condition. Unfortunately, he also ended up not resisting.

"Moto1000GP communicates the death of the rider André Veríssimo Cardoso, involved in a serious accident with the rider Érico Veríssimo da Rocha during the first lap of the GP 1000 category this Sunday afternoon (27) during the fourth stage of the Brazilian Motorcycle Championship in Cascavel ( PR)."

"André Veríssimo, 42 years old, was sent by the championship rescue team in a very serious condition to a reference hospital. and dying."

"Unfortunately a beautiful day of racing turned into one of the saddest days in Moto1000GP history. At this time our thoughts and prayers are entirely with the families and our friends and riders who have passed away."

In a statement, the president of the Brazilian Automobile Confederation (CBA), Giovani Guerra, lamented the deaths: "It is with great sadness that the Brazilian Automobile Confederation receives the news of the deaths of motorcyclists Érico Veríssimo da Rocha and André Veríssimo Cardoso".

"The riders died this Sunday (27), when they were involved in an accident on the first lap of the fourth stage of the Brazilian Motorcycle Championship, in Cascavel (PR), in the GP 1000 category. Erico, 38 years old, worked in the civil construction in Olinda (PE). André, a 42-year-old publicist, was from São Paulo."

"On my personal behalf and that of the entire CBA family, I wish that God will support and console the families and friends of the Brazilian Motorcycling Confederation", completed the leader in the statement.

Cascavel was the fourth stage of the 2023 season for the category, having started the year in Goiânia in April before passing through Campo Grande and Lima Duarte, in the interior of Minas Gerais.