May 28 (Reuters) - British Isle of Man TT rider Daniel Ingham has died after a crash in qualifying for this year's races, organisers said on Thursday.
They earlier announced the suspension of all sidecar racing for the remainder of the event on safety grounds following a number of other serious accidents.
Ingham, 33, crashed at Doran's Bend on the first lap of the third qualifying session. An experienced competitor on the island, he won the 2024 Senior Manx Grand Prix and was making his TT debut.
Wednesday's evening qualifying session was red-flagged after brothers Ryan and Callum Crowe crashed their sidecar. Both were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Maria Costello and passenger Shaun Parker crashed on Tuesday evening, with Costello transferred to Aintree hospital in Liverpool in a serious but stable condition.
"We recognise the long-standing history of sidecar racing at the TT, together with the commitment of the competitors, teams and supporters involved in the class. This decision has not been taken lightly," organisers said after the class was suspended.
"However, the safety of competitors, spectators, marshals, officials and all those involved in the event must remain the priority."
The TT races on the island's mountain circuit run until June 6.
There were no fatalities at last year's TT and Manx Grand Prix races but Ingham's death took the tally to 271 since the first in 1911.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in LondonEditing by Christian Radnedge)
