Jacqueline Silva competes in a surf tournament in Sydney, 2008. Photo / Getty Images
Top women's surfer Jacqui Silva's car has been hit by another as she was driving to the first day of competition at the Bells Beach Surf Classic.
Silva, 31, from Brazil, was hit and suffered minor injuries as she drove to Torquay from Geelong to compete in the world tour
surfing event.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the 31-year-old was driving to Torquay from Geelong on the Surf Coast Highway, when another car driving in the opposite direction swerved across the road and hit her.
The spokeswoman said the 42-year-old man driving the second car was believed to have "blacked out" before hitting Silva's car.
"The driver has suffered some kind of medical condition. It's believed he's blacked out and swerved across the road and collided with the car driving into Torquay," the spokeswoman said.
Both drivers were taken to Geelong Hospital with minor injuries.
Rip Curl media manager Dane Sharp said Silva had spoken to event organisers on the telephone on her way to hospital.
"Her car's pretty beat up; she was taken to hospital I think predominantly for precautionary reasons," Mr Sharp said.
"She's obviously a little bit shaken up."
Mr Sharp said Silva had not indicated if she would continue to compete, but that the event might not begin on Tuesday due to poor surfing conditions predicted, meaning Silva may not need to decide until tomorrow whether she would compete.
He said she had been in Torquay for a few days already and had surfed the event many times before.
"She's one of the veterans of the Women's World Tour," Mr Sharp said.
"She's never won here but she's had some good results here and has been on the tour for many years."
- AAP
