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Craig Breen, a veteran racer for Hyundai's World Rally Championship team, was killed in an accident that occurred during pre-event testing for the 2023 Croatia Rally on Thursday. He was 33.

Details of the accident, which happened just after midday local time, were not immediately shared by WRC or by Hyundai. Breen's co-driver, James Fulton, was not injured in the accident.

"The WRC family is shocked and saddened to learn of Craig Breen's passing," read a statement by WRC. "Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of Craig at this incredibly sad time."

A native of Waterford, Ireland, Breen was the son of Irish rallying great Ray Breen and made his rally debut in 2007 after starting his racing career in karting. Breen made it to the WRC Academy in 2011, becoming the inaugural Academy Cup winner.

Breen eventually made it to the top level of WRC in 2016, competing for Citroen Total World Rally Team and M-Sport Ford World Rally Team before joining Hyundai World Rally Team in 2023. In 82 career rallies, Breen had 30 stage wins and nine podium finishes, including a second-place finish at Rally Sweden in February.

Breen's death comes 11 years after he was involved in another fatal accident during the Targa Florio Rally, which took the life of his co-driver Gareth Roberts. He is the first driver to die in a WRC event since 2006, when Jorg Bastuck was struck and killed by another car during the Rally Catalunya.