Herbert Lettner died in consequence of an accident which happened during the tenth special stage of the Forstinger Rally, seventh round of the 2000 Austrian Rally Championship.
At the time he was regarded as one of the leading rally drivers in his country, driving with his cousin Thomas Lettner as navigator. In 1999 the pair won the Diesel category in the Austrian Rally Championship, driving a Volkswagen Golf IV TDi Kit Car.
Born in Rohrmoos, neighborhood to Schladming in Steiermark, Austria, Herbert Lettner, "Letti" as he was nicknamed by friends, made his debut in his twenties, driving a Group N Ford Sierra Cosworth for "Team des Altausseeers Sewi Hopfer". Herbert and Thomas Lettner then raced for ART Schladming team and in 1996 they progressed to a Ford Escort Cosworth entered by Remus Racing.
Since 1997, Herbert Lettner's career continued with semi-works cars entered by Volkswagen Motorsport Austria team. Letti was able to drive his way to the top level in Austria, getting well along his legendary team mate, the 1993 Austrian Rally Champion Raimund "Mundl" Baumschlager - who went on to win the national title 13 more times, until 2017. Renowned for his courageous and spectacular driving style, during his career Herbert Lettner achieved a large number of class wins, as well as top places in the overall classification.
On Saturday, 23 September 2000, the Volkswagen Golf TDI bearing the race number #8, driven by Herbert Lettner slid into a concrete wall at high speed. The driver sustained severe head and internal injuries in the accident, and died at 12h45 en route to Graz hospital in the air ambulance. Death was due to a ruptured lung and cardiac arrest. His co-driver Thomas Lettner received minor injuries in the crash.
As a result of the tragedy, the rally was suspended at the end of the sebsequent 11th special stage. The Austrian veteran Franz Wittmann, who at the moment was in the lead, was declared winner of the rally, with co-driver Fred Berssen in a Toyota Corolla WRC.
Herbert Lettner was 29 years old, unmarried, and resided in his hometown Rohrmoos. Burial is in the Kommunalfriedhof Schladming, the municipal cemetery in the town of Schladming, Austria.
R.I.P
