In a harrowing incident that has rattled the motorsport community, famed rally rider Kevin Benavides experienced a severe setback during a training session in Salta, Argentina. Benavides sustained multiple life-threatening injuries, including a diffuse axonal brain injury, while preparing for the prestigious World Rally-Raid Championship’s Desafío Ruta 40.
The accident occurred when Benavides and his younger brother, Luciano Benavides, took to the Mantillo MX Park for additional practice laps following an intensive training day. It was during this time that Kevin Benavides suffered a tragic fall, resulting in a broken left elbow and humerus, cervical spine damage, and a torn radial nerve.
Diffuse axonal injury, the specific type of brain trauma that Kevin Benavides experienced, involves widespread disruption of nerve fibres in the brain. Regarded among the most catastrophic traumatic brain injuries, such a condition can lead to prolonged comas or permanent neurological impairment. Following the accident, Kevin Benavides required an extensive surgery which considerably exceeded the expected duration.
Source: The Checkered Flag