Motorcycle-racing champion Pascal Grosjean of Switzerland had just won a race in the Dubai Autodrome when, during his warm-down lap, he was hit from behind by the third-place rider who tried to brake from an estimated 125 mph pre-collision.
He was airlifted to the hospital, where he died.
"Pascal Grosjean was one of the hardest competitors to beat on the track and was very respected by his rivals," Carissa Crowley, the public relations and marketing manager for Grosjean's racing team Gros Gros in Dubai, said: "Pascal established a bike riding school here to train other riders about the importance of safety. His goal was to improve safety in the motorsport industry. It is such a great loss. He was at the top of his game." [The National]
In October, American swimmer Fran Crippen died during an open-water event in Dubai. The investigation into his death is ongoing.