During the first special stage of the 1000 Lakes Rally held on Friday, 23 August 1996, the yellow Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Group N of Danish team Karsten Richardt-Ole Frederiksen failed the braking point before a right bend, jumped over a hump at about 150 km/h and went straight into a field. The out of control car crashed against a kerbstone and ran into a spectator area about 80 meters ahead, hitting a large number of them. Ludo Briers of Belgium passed away later that day in the hospital; thirty-two other people were injured, nine of them seriously.
After the accident, the Harju special stage was immediately stopped and cancelled. The event re-started from the second special stage, and Tommi Mäkinen-Seppo Harjanne in a factory Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 eventually won the rally.
A close friend to Belgian rally-men Bruno Thiry and Stéphane Prévot who were in the rally in a works Ford Escort RS Cosworth, Ludo Briers was a 45 year-old journalist from Alken, Belgium. He was following the rally for a Belgian newspaper, and the 1996 1000 Lakes Rally was his first international transfer. Briers was a rallyist himself, racing as co-driver from the early 1970s until 1991, mostly with Pierre Govaerts. Their best finish was 3rd place overall at Rally van Meerhout in 1977.
R.I.P
