Doctor dies on track: Experienced racer’s death halts event in ‘rare’ Killarney tragedy
POPULAR: Dr Shaheed Mugjenkar, 46, from Athlone. Picture supplied
A drag racing event held at Killarney racetrack had to be called off after a popular local doctor tragically died while racing on Saturday.
Dr Shaheed Mugjenkar, 46, is said to have lost control of his car, rolled and crashed into a barrier after crossing the finish line.
In a statement, Killarney International Raceway said: “The Motor Sport South Africa (MSA) Drag Racing event at Killarney International Raceway on Saturday 16 July was stopped after a crash.
“Dr Shaheed Mugjenkar lost control of his Opel Kadett drag racing car after the finish line, the car veered across the drag strip and rolled over several times before hitting the safety barriers, ultimately landing on its side.
“Marshals and medical personnel were immediately in attendance, and Dr Mugjenkar was taken to hospital in a critical condition.
“Sadly, we have since been informed by hospital staff that he succumbed to his injuries later during the day with his family present at the hospital.
“He was a member of the club and a regular competitor for a number of years. The Western Province Motor Club extends its heartfelt condolences to his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this sad time.”
They added the matter will be investigated to determine the cause of the crash.
The father of four from Athlone had been a petrolkop all his life.
His brother Irfaan Mugjenkar tells the Daily Voice: “He has been racing since he was young. It’s been a hobby, his passion. He was into extreme sports.
“I think after dealing with patients, he used racing to unwind.”
Dr Mugjenkar was a general practitioner working in the Retreat area.
“He loved helping people and his patients would best describe the kind of man he was.
“He enjoyed assisting the people in the Retreat area,” added Irfan.
City Mayco member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, conveyed his condolences to the family of Dr Mugjenkar, who was an “experienced racer”.
Smith maintained such tragedies are “extremely rare” at Killarney and that motor racing remains far safer on the track than on the street.
“I saw the footage of the accident where you can see that he was over the finish line and he is in fact decelerating when the car starts veering off the road,” he said.
“There will need to be a proper investigation to determine what happened, whether it was a mechanical failure or whether it was a medical condition that suddenly beset him. It will be determined by an investigation and autopsy.
He added that you can’t predict when something will go wrong, even on the track.
That’s why racing must happen at a racing track, where marshals and medical teams are on hand, he said.