Isle of Man TT rider paralysed as statement released after crash | Other | Sport
Maria Costello is in a serious but stable condition (Image: Getty)
Isle of Man TT rider Maria Costello MBE has damaged her spinal cord and is paralysed from the mid-chest down following a crash during the racing festival. A fundraiser has been set up to support Costello following a sidecar crash that saw her and passenger Shaun Parker hit a hare near Brandish corner on a lap of the Mountain course.
Costello has also broken her wrist, arm, a number of ribs and her sternum, as well as her eye socket and her nose and was airlifted to Walton Hospital in Liverpool after being taken to Noble’s Hospital, alongside Parker. Parker confirmed he was receiving treatment for a broken foot, ribs, clavicle, jaw, ankle and knee, while he also suffered a collapsed lung and blurred vision.
Alan Gardner, the manager of Costello and Parker said: “She was probably doing somewhere between 140 and 150 miles an hour.
“You’ve got to remember that her head at this point is probably 18 inches off the road, so there’s very little reaction time available to anybody.”And there was no mechanical failure, there was no rider error, it’s a freak accident.”
Costello is expected to need assistance for the rest of her life and efforts to raise funds have already seen more than £120,000 pour in. Gardner has detailed the scale of finance her future may require.
“She is enormously grateful and enormously humbled by the amount of love and support she’s been sent,” Gardner said. “£120,000 so far is a huge amount of money. But it’s a horrible thing that’s happened to her and frankly it’s not enough…
“A body brace might be £20,000. That’s just so she can sit up. The more money we can raise, the more options we’ve got.
Costello does have insurance and some cover from the ICU governing body and TT Riders’ Association “But most of these things are geared for short-term injuries … this is unfortunately and most likely going to be that she’ll need help for the rest of her life … so the fundraiser’s vital,” Gardner explained.
A spokesperson for Costello added: “From the initial determination of her injuries it is already clear that Maria will need to move house or make house alterations, with accessibility adjustments needed wherever she is based. She will need an adapted bed, shower, kitchen, stairlift and specialist vehicle for transport.
“Maria will need further surgery over the coming weeks and months and require specialist rehab and physio support. Maria is beyond determined to bounce back and apply every ounce of focus to being back as well as possible.”
Maria Costello was awarded an MBE for services to motorcycling in 2009 (Image: Getty)
The Isle of Man TT also provided an update on Costello’s condition following the crash. “Maria Costello MBE sustained serious injuries following an incident at the approach to Brandish during the first qualifying session of the 2026 Isle of Man TT Races on Tuesday evening,” a statement read.
“Maria was initially taken to Noble’s Hospital by Airmed for assessment and treatment before subsequently being transferred to Walton Hospital, where she remains under specialist care. Maria’s condition is reported as serious but stable.
“She has sustained spinal injuries and continues to receive treatment. We continue to communicate with and support Maria, her family and team at this time. The thoughts of everyone at the Isle of Man TT Races are with Maria, her family, friends and team.”
Costello’s tragic circumstances came days after Daniel Ingham was killed during a qualifying session at the TT. The 33-year-old was involved in an incident on Doran’s Bend. That followed the death of Alan Oversby, 68, who passed while racing in a pre-TT event.
