Driving out of Port Augusta the traffic immediately increased but we could successfully pass several cars in the overtaking lane. Making things more complicated, the side winds started to pick up and the gusts increased. Then the unexpected happened. Unfortunately, two oncoming trucks passed, and the resulting vortex made Adelie lose control. She drifted into the gravel shoulder, tried to pull back onto the road but the resulting height difference between gravel and road led Adelie to start wobbling. At this point she could not be controlled, landed in the ditch, and rolled over.
Our team reacted instantly, first we got our driver out of the car and made sure he was safe. We brought him to a doctor for a medical check-up, confirming he was in good health. At the same time, we secured the site of the accident and made sure that the car did not pose a hazard to anyone. Having insured the crash site was secured, reality hit, and we realised that we would have to withdraw from the race due to the regulations. Having worked almost two years on Adelie and within a snippet of a second our hopes and dreams dissolved, we were at rock bottom.
After the first shock, we gathered as a team in a parking lot nearby to discuss how we will proceed from now. We assessed the damages on Adelie. If the rules had allowed it, we could have been back on the road within an hour and stayed in fifth place. This raised our spirits as none of our safety components, such as the Monocoque, the rollbar, the seat belt and the battery box were harmed in the crash. This proves us, that we designed and built a safe car.
We crashed 2734 kilometers away from Darwin, less than 300 kilometres left to Adeliade. This was very tough for our team to grasp and cope. Even though this whole journey now ended in a very sad way, we are very proud of all our work and achievements. Before the accident we drove all the way without having to stop a single time, proving that our car is reliable and working perfectly. Therefore we were allowed to drive symbolically through the finish line in Adelaide with Adelie, celebrating our achievement.