MotoGp superstar Valentino Rossi narrowly avoided what could have been a disastrous accident during the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday. The Italian legend was nearly hit by a rival’s stray bike that had cartwheeled across track following a collision between Franco Morbidelli and Johann Zarco. Yamaha rider Morbidelli and the Ducati’s Zarco had collided just seconds before the riders made their way through turn four on the eighth lap at Spielberg. Zarco’s Ducati also came desperately close to hitting Rossi as well as his Yamaha factory teammate Maverick Vinales who was just ahead of him.

Here is the hair-raising sequence of events and Rossi’s miracle escape.

One of the most terrifying #MotoGP crashes we’ve EVER seen!!!

Watch the Turn 3 accident from all angles!#AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/L2GLToviFi

— MotoGP (@MotoGP) August 17, 2020

The 41-year-old was visibly shaken by the incident.

An understandably shaken @ValeYellow46…#AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/UB0fdyx0TG

— MotoGP (@MotoGP) August 16, 2020

“Morbidelli’s bike nearly killed me,” said Rossi.

“Even Zarco’s Ducati passed a few metres over me, it was a very dangerous moment.”

The race was stopped following the horror crash. Despite being in a near-death situation, Rossi manage to compose himself and finish fifth after the race was restarted.

“I was so scared. I am shaken, resuming the race was tough. I took the biggest risk of my career,” Rossi told Sky Italia.

“I saw a shadow, I thought it was the helicopter from above, sometimes it happens during the race that the helicopter passes over and casts a shadow. Instead, two ‘bullets’ arrived.

“The saint of motorcyclists today did a really great job, it was a very dangerous thing.”

Morbidelli, who could be Rossi’s teammate next season at the Yamaha satellite team, lashed out at Zarco after the incident.

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“Zarco is almost a murderer,” Morbidelli told Sky Sport Italia.

(With AFP inputs)