The widow of the pilot who died in Mortitx asks for privacy for their four children: "My life has changed forever"

PalmaThe widow of the German pilot Klaus Rader, who died on Friday in an accident during the Rally 550 Challenge Mallorca on the Mortitx road, has requested privacy to mourn with her four children. Viktoria (Viky) Rader spoke out through an Instagram post on Sunday, October 11, in which she expressed her gratitude for the support received and requested respect for the situation the family is going through.

“As many of you will have read in the news, my life changed forever last Friday. I am grateful for every message, every kind word and every show of love and support that you have sent me during these incredibly painful moments”, she wrote. Rader was the founder of the restaurant franchise L'Osteria, located at the Mallorca Fashion Outlet shopping center and had settled a few years ago on a property in Alaró with his family, according to the German media outlet Bild.

In the same message, she asked for understanding and compassion to be able to process the loss within the privacy of the family. “As I try to face this unimaginable tragedy, I kindly ask you, with respect, understanding, and compassion, to grant my children and me the privacy and space we need to mourn our loss, process what has happened, and find, little by little, a way to move forward in these poignant moments,” she expressed.

“The love and support you have given me mean more to me than words can express. However, right now, the greatest gift you can give us is to respect the tranquility we need to mourn our loss as a family and in private,” she added. The post ends with a farewell to her husband: “Rest in peace, love of my life”.

The Civil Guard is investigating the causes of the accident

The main hypothesis of the Civil Guard is that speeding caused the accident, although investigators are not ruling out other possibilities, such as road deficiencies. The Judicial Police of Inca is in charge of the proceedings and has already taken statements from the rally organizers.

The accident took place on Friday at kilometer 10 of the Ma-10 road, heading towards Lluc from Pollença, near Mortitx. The vehicle went off a bend and fell down a ravine of several meters. Rader, 63, died at the scene, while the co-driver, Christina Ettel, 39, was seriously injured. The organization suspended the event as a sign of mourning. The vehicle was participating in the opening category and was not competing for the classification.

The co-driver remains admitted to the ICU

Ettel explained on Monday via Instagram that she remains admitted to the intensive care unit. As she detailed, she has two fractured vertebrae, a third with a compression injury, and a hepatic hematoma, but she retains full mobility of her arms and legs.

The co-pilot also expressed gratitude for the support received and had words of recognition for the rally organizer and his wife, as well as for Rader's friends. Furthermore, she expressed her condolences to the pilot's family and ended the message with a farewell: “Rest in peace, Klaus”.