As Macklin cut towards the middle of the track, Pierre Levegh, a Mercedes-Benz driver, was approaching at a speed of close to 150 mph; Macklin's car acted as a speed ramp for Pierre catapulting the car towards the spectators. Le Mans, France: Rescue workers pursue the grim task of extricating . He wrote a book saying so, and Macklin then sued Hawthorn for libel. Opinions differed widely amongst the other drivers as to who was directly to blame for the crash, and such differences remain even today. On the 11th of June 1955, about 300,000 spectators gathered at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Northern France for another endurance car race event. Fitch explained that he only got an idea of how bad things were when he overheard a journalist friend of his reporting news that some 65 people were reported dead. Just as the race was having the average pedestrian pace for a car race, there was an accident that changed the cause of motorsports history. Le Mans 11th June 1955. Last edited on 19 February 2023, at 23:30, "Historic Motor Racing - historicracing.com", "Lucien Bianchi Profile - Drivers - GP Encyclopedia - F1 History on Grandprix.com", "Race Car Driver Deaths: The Medical Causes of Racing Deaths w Examples", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_24_Hours_of_Le_Mans_fatalities&oldid=1140404005, Guilbert was making his way to the circuit during the morning of the race in his Ravel, a car designed by. Pierre Levegh, in a Mercedes Benz, was next on the scene. The cars had no seat belts; the drivers reasoned that it was preferable to be thrown clear in a collision rather than be crushed or trapped in a burning car. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options await you. Fourteen people were decapitated with the death toll in the crowd recorded at 83 - though more were believed to have succumbed to their injuries in the weeks and months afterward. The pits complex was pulled down and rebuilt, giving more room to the teams, but thereby limiting spaces to only 52 starters rather than the previous 60. In the United States, the American Automobile Association (AAA) dissolved their Contest Board that had been the primary sanctioning body for motorsport in the US (including the Indianapolis 500) since 1904. Other pictures show them dragging his body to the pits. It turned friends into enemies, fans into critics, and winners into losers. Jaguar went on to win the race. Two hours later, photographers captured priests performing last rites. Levegh was thrown from the car and killed, while burning pieces of the car were flung into the crowd and caught fire, killing 83 others. (AP Photo), Spectators flee the searing flames of a smashed Mercedes racing car after an accident at Le Mans, France, endurance race which killed more than 80 persons, June 11, 1955. The car rolled over during the incident. Show more. [15] The initial media accounts were wildly inaccurate, as shown by subsequent analysis of photographic evidence conducted by Road & Track editor (and 1955 second-place finisher) Paul Frre in 1975. Large pieces of debris flew into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Levegh, and injuring nearly 180 more. Large pieces of debris flew into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Levegh, and injuring nearly 180 more. The circuit at Le Mans is incredibly long, and information was even more sparse away from the immediate vicinity of the crash. I stood as if in a dream, too horrified to even think. Last year, Aston Martin GT driver Allan Simonsen died when he crashed into an insufficiently protected tree. Accdez au meilleur de Getty Images avec un simple abonnement. [3], Both Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz issued official statements, mainly in self-defense against the accusations leveled against them and their drivers. Waiting until 1:45 am, when many spectators had left, he stepped onto the track and quietly called his cars into the pits, at the time running first and third. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. The 1955 Le Mans disaster of 11th June 1955 during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, Sarthe, France. One marshal tried to douse the burning wreckage with water and sent huge bursts of white hot fire into the crowd, killing more as this recent history explains. 312 Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE EDITORIAL All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 312 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Behind these fleeing spectators is the scene where many were killed when hit by flying pieces of the racer which exploded after crashing into a retaining wall. The significant chunk of the car slammed into a concrete structure and disintegrated, causing the fuel tank to explode. The Worst Accident in Motorsports History (1955 Le Mans Disaster) - YouTube 0:00 / 2:27 Sign in to confirm your age This video may be inappropriate for some users. Showing Editorial results for le mans 1955. (AP Photo/Jimmy Prickett). Racing fuel exploded. Flying metal following the explosion killed some 80 and injured many spectators. [14][3][18], Hawthorn had overshot his pits and stopped. Macklin is startled at not having the more technologically advanced disc brakes as the Jaguar, which leads him to move to the right, kicking up dirt before veering towards the center of the track. Mike Hawthorne, the leader in the Jaguar, was getting close to the pit area as he approached driver Lance Macklin who he would lap. The 1955 Le Mans tragedy was deemed a terrible accident but in truth was the end of an era that would never come again. Other observers estimated the toll to be much higher. The behemoths of sports racing all featured their sports cars with their respective drivers for another car racing festival. Here you can see the damage it took and how it could've acted like a ramp. It was only ten years after the end of WWII, and dead bodies in the French countryside was fresh in everyone's memory. The greatest carmakers in the world were competing, as were the best drivers. With the Mercedes team withdrawn and the Ferraris all out of commission, Jaguar's main competition had gone. Your brain acts so fast you can see everything, and I can remember as I was spinning I saw the timekeepers watching me from their booth. The French magazine LAuto-Journal published it with the sarcastic caption, votre sant, Monsieur Hawthorn! (In English, To your health (Cheers), Mr. Hawthorn!). (AP Photo/Jacques Marqueton), Spectators flee the searing flames of a smashed Mercedes racing car after an accident at Le Mans, France, endurance race which killed more than 80 persons, June 11, 1955. The momentum of the heaviest components of the car the engine block, radiator, and front suspension hurtled straight on into the crowd for almost 100 metres (330ft), crushing all in their path. One spectator actually recorded the crash head-on. The 1955 Le Mans Disaster Via: Youtube On the 11th of June 1955, about 300,000 spectators gathered at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Northern France for another endurance car race event. Levegh rear-ended Macklin at high speed, overriding Macklin's car and launching his own car through the air. So abruptly that he ended up missing his garage space and was ordered to do another lap to make it back around since backing up wasn't allowed. The cars continued to zoom around the massive 8.383-mile circuit as emergency morgues were set up and ambulances ferried the walking wounded to hospitals. It was an appalling tragedy that shocked the world and changed the face of motorsports forever. Mike-Hawthorn.org.uk hosts right here a 1993 report on the race, and includes a comment from 'Lofty' England, the Jaguar team boss. 2023 Getty Images. Footage of the 1955 Le Mans Disaster. Tirez parti du rseau mondial GettyImages, avec plus de 340 000 crateurs, pour dvelopper un contenu exclusif, cr spcialement pour votre marque. On that date, the Ministry of the Interior released new regulations for racing events and codified the approval process that future racing events would need to follow. The action was still unresolved when Hawthorn was killed in a non-racing crash on the Guildford bypass in 1959, coincidentally while overtaking a Mercedes-Benz in his Jaguar. The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France on June 11, 1955. The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France on June 11, 1955. That was my first thought. Life reported that it was days before drivers put together exactly what happened and the public at large learned the gravity of the crash. Le Mans Motor Racing Disaster (1955) | British Path Watch on At least 83 spectators were killed and over a hundred more injured in the 1955 Le Mans Disaster. That was the exact number of spectators killed during the Le Mans disaster. Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies . Collect, curate and comment on your files. The official government inquiry into the accident called officials, drivers, and team personnel to be questioned and give evidence. At 125 miles an hour, "he had no chance to do so himself.". [14] When Fitch returned to his pit, he urged the Mercedes team to withdraw from the race, as continuing to compete would be a public relations disaster for Mercedes-Benz regardless of whether they won or lost. In the history of racing disasters, the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans tragedy still exists in a category of . Rassembler, slectionner et commenter vos fichiers. Browse 311 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Years later Fitch claimed, based on his own recollection and from what he heard from others, that Hawthorn had caused it. Mike Hawthorn celebrating the 1955 Le Mans victory despite causing the deadliest accident in history of racing. "The man was not injured by the flying debris, but his son was killed. The car landed on the earthen embankment between the spectators and the track, bounced, then slammed into a concrete stairwell structure and disintegrated. 312 Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE EDITORIAL All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 312 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Showing Editorial results for le mans 1955. Extricating the Dead and Dying. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. In other racing events where a car's ability is based on how fast it moves and in record time, this is a test of car reliability. The dead and dying were everywhere; the cries of pain, anguish, and despair screamed catastrophe. It ended with the usual champagne, as well. Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies of some of the victims felled by the explosion on Saturday. [14] Levegh's lifeless body, severely burned, lay in full view on the pavement until a gendarme hauled down a banner to cover it.