Two separate crashes during the opening qualifying sessions of the 2026 Isle of Man TT on Monday left 11 people injured, including eight spectators and three competitors.
Ramsey Incident
A competitor lost control and crashed into a crowd near Albert Square in Ramsey at approximately 13:50 BST on the exit to Parliament Square.
The incident injured the rider and eight spectators, prompting an immediate ban on viewing from that specific area for the remainder of the festival.
Muriel Kelly, a resident and retired nurse who has lived along the course for four decades, witnessed the crash near her home.
“We've seen people crash their bikes or come off, but I've never seen anybody go into a group of spectators like that.
It was terrifying really,” said Kelly.
Kelly crossed the course to help the casualties alongside two vacationing off-duty nurses from England.
“There were three casualties on the ground as I went over, so I took the third casualty,” said Kelly.
A family standing together to watch the races was among those hurt.
“It was a major incident,” said Kelly.
Emergency responders arrived quickly to manage the scene, but Kelly noted the psychological impact persisted.
“Every time I closed my eyes and tried to go to sleep at night I just kept seeing it all again, all the people on the ground,” said Kelly.
Despite the severity, Kelly commended the professionalism of the paramedics and police officers, describing them as “fantastic.”
Organizers confirmed that six spectators and the rider have been discharged, while two spectators remain under specialist medical care in the United Kingdom.
The Isle of Man Constabulary has requested witnesses to upload relevant photos and videos to a secure portal to assist the investigation.
Kelly said the crash has not changed her overall view of the event, noting that Ramsey had not previously experienced such an incident.
“We don't know why it happened but it's never really happened like that before in Ramsey anyway,” said Kelly.
Brandish Crash
In a separate incident during the second lap of the first Sidecar qualifying session, competitors Maria Costello MBE and Shaun Parker crashed their LCR Honda F2 at Brandish.
Officials stopped the session permanently following the wreck, leaving Ryan and Callum Crowe at the top of the leaderboard.
Costello, who is marking her 30th anniversary of racing on the Mountain Course, was flown to Noble's Hospital with head trauma.
“Maria’s condition is currently reported as conscious and talking, with reported head injuries, and has been taken to Noble’s Hospital by Airmed for further assessment,” said an official Isle of Man TT statement.
Parker sustained injuries to his extremities and was transported via ground ambulance.
“Passenger, Shaun, is reported as conscious and talking, with reported leg and arm injuries, and has been taken to Noble’s Hospital by Ambulance for further assessment,” the statement added.
