British mother, a driver in the Peking to Paris rally, killed in tragic Siberian road crash

The fatal accident was some 200km east of Tyumen in Siberia when an oncoming car struck a 1970 Chevrolet C10 driven by Emma Wilkinson, 47. The driver and a child in the Volkswagen died at the scene and a woman was seriously injured and rushed to hospital.

Rally organisers delayed naming the mother of two until relatives had been informed. Her partner and fellow competitor Peter Davies was injured in the crash but not seriously. He was 'shocked but unhurt'.

'Emma was 47 years old with two children,' said an official statement. 'She was a fun loving, lively and popular member of the rally. In the three weeks we've been together both she and Peter proved themselves to be capable, competent and resourceful. 

'Their 1970 Chevrolet C10 pickup was a remarkable sight in the the Mongolian wilderness and today our thoughts and sympathies are with Emma's family and friends including her two brothers Robert and Mark who are also with us. At their request we delayed publishing this report and asked that all other competitors to do the same. The Rally Office are working with the Local Police, the Foreign Office and the British Embassy to offer the family whatever assistance is needed at this difficult time'.

Nikolai Sinegubov, a Russian rally participant, told The Siberian Times: 'It happened at approximately 1.40  pm, some 200 km before Tyumen. The co-driver was injured but not that badly. 

'Together with other drivers who rushed to assist he helped pull the cars away from each other in order to pull Emma out because she was stuck inside after the head-on crash. There were three cars that were trying to pull apart the crashed cars. The ambulance and the traffic police came very fast, and everyone rushed to help. They were really great and thanks a lot for everything they've done. 

'They blocked the motorway and helped organise other drivers. Everyone was trying to help, every driver that was nearby got involved. It was three people in the Volkswagen - a man driver and a child died instantly, a woman was rushed to the hospital in grave condition. 

'Peter, Emma's co-driver is in a state on an utter shock, as all of us are. We are on the way to Tyumen, the mood is horrible. I don't know what's going to happen next, I don't know what will happen to the rally, everything will be decided in Tyumen.  

'The weather was fine, perfect, and the conditions on the road were good. Emma was driving when suddenly a Volkswagen car swayed off its lane and smashed right into their car. It was going at high speed, and one theory is the driver fell asleep. 

'They were driving a Chevrolet C10 1970 which is a big, easy to see car. 

The VW had an 86 region code suggesting it was from Khanti-Mansiyskiy Autonomous region. 

'A road traffic incident involving a vintage car, which was taking part in the Peking to Paris rally 2013, happened June 12 at 13.40 at the 212th kilometer of the Tyumen-to-Omsk federal highway,' said a police statement.  

Earlier drivers in the rally had crossed from Mongolia into Siberia. This week they had a one day rest stop in Novosibirsk.

The Peking to Paris rally is the longest and toughest race anyone can drive in a vintage or classic car.