Colorized and closeup shot of crash. And W cameraman

More commentary and videos on the Le Mans tragedy and the race itself.

1955 24 Hours of Le Mans (partially found footage of World Sports Car Championship race)

The Mercedes driven by Pierre Levegh goes airborne after having clipped Lance Macklin's Austin-Healey.

The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans was the fourth round of the 1955 World Sports Car Championship Season. Occurring from 11th-12th June 1955 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, the race would ultimately be won by Mike Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb in a Jaguar D-Type. The race would also be partially televised live on the Eurovision Network. However, the event is most remembered for featuring the deadliest accident in motor racing history, which claimed the lives of 83.

BACKROUND:

The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 23rd running of the event, forming part of the 1955 World Sportscar Championship Season. The event is not only the most prestigious race in endurance racing that is still run annually as of the present day, it is also classified as part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, alongside the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500.

From a television standpoint, the 1955 edition was the second to be televised live. Under the direction of Jean d'Arcy, ten RTF cameras and three outside broadcasting vans were placed throughout the 13km circuit, while six relays were built between Le Mans and Paris to transmit the signal and respective commentaries from French and international journalists. Here, the signal would be received in countries within the fledging Eurovision Network that sought to provide pan-European broadcasts.Among those receiving the signal included France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. In total, twelve broadcasts occurred throughout the event's duration, with a total of five hours being transmitted live. It was also RTF's first significantly large live broadcast of a sporting event.

PRELUDE TO THE RACE:

Heading into the event, three teams were seeking to gain victory within the S-5000 / S-3000 class, typically known as the "Grand Prix Formule Libre" cars. Defending race winners Ferrari entered the 735 LM, and hedged its bets somewhat by splitting its three driver sets based on experience. Meanwhile, Jaguar entered D-Types with enhanced engine power and consequently top speed, opting to place 1953 winners Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton, as well as Mike Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb, within two of its three works cars.

Finally, Mercedes-Benz re-entered the event after last making the 1952 edition, with 300 SLRs containing air brakes; considering the German manufacturer's dominance of other motorsport categories like Formula One, Mercedes were considered the favourites to win the race. Their main challenger consisted of eventual 1955 Formula One World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio and runners-up Stirling Moss, while Pierre Levegh would race with John Fitch in one of the remaining two cars. In total, 70 vehicles were entered to compete within the various classes, including Lance Macklin privately entering alongside Les Leston in an Austin-Healey 100 S. 60 competed in the race itself.

During practice, the Ferraris, Jaguars, and Mercedes were all proving competitive enough to easily break the track's lap record. Ferrari's Eugenio Castellotti set the fastest time of 4:14, a second ahead of Fangio. Early signs of safety concerns arose when three separate accidents occurred that resulted in serious injuries to Gordini teammates Jean Behra and Élie Bayol. Behra was waiting within the pits, which were unguarded and situated directly next to the race line. As Moss was exiting the pits, DB-Panhard's Claude Storez approached at speed and rear-ended the Mercedes, Moss only carrying on with slight damage as he already partially accelerated away. However, the DB bounced into the path of Behra, trapping him and injuring his leg. Meanwhile, Bayol suffered a fractured skull and broken vertebrae when he was forced to take evasive action upon encountering two spectators crossing the track ahead, rolling his car in the process. Despite the serious accidents raising questions surrounding driver and spectator safety, the race would commence as planned.

The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans was the fourth round of the 1955 World Sports Car Championship Season. Occurring from 11th-12th June 1955 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, the race would ultimately be won by Mike Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb in a Jaguar D-Type. The race would also be partially televised live on the Eurovision Network. However, the event is most remembered for featuring the deadliest accident in motor racing history, which claimed the lives of Mercedes-Benz driver Pierre Levegh and 83 spectators.

THE RACE:

The drivers begin the Le Mans Start.

The race itself commenced on 11th June at around 4pm. Castellotti made the strongest start, leading from the initial few bends, with Hawthorn making it through to second. While Fangio's start was delayed as his one of his trouser legs got caught on the gear lever, he nevertheless proved competitive enough to reach fourth by lap 3, and by the first 30 minutes he was chasing Hawthorn for second. Despite his strong start, Castellotti was unable to fend off Hawthorn and Fangio; thus the race's early stages consisted of a three-way duel for first. By around 4:50 pm, Fangio had passed Hawthorn, only for the Brit to overtake the Argentine five minutes later. The pair according to Motor Sport had seemingly forgotten about the endurance side of Le Mans, setting numerous lap records in an attempt to outpace each other. Fangio notably broke the lap record five times, while Hawthorn did so in three instance, an average speed of 123 mph being set in the process. Eventually, Castellotti's engine began to deteriorate, allowing Hawthorn and Fangio by after 15 laps. At 6pm, the pair continually overtook one another, and were often separated by just two seconds per lap, while Castellotti was now a minute behind in third.

Hawthorn ahead of the Mercedes driven by Fangio and Moss.

At 6:26, Hawthorn and Fangio started lap 35, with the former opting to make a pit stop. As he did so, Hawthorn inadvertently triggered Levegh's fatal accident. As police and officials dealt with the crash's aftermath, another occurred at the Maison Blanch corner. MG's Dick Jacobs lost control not long after exiting the corner, causing his MG to roll over, land inverted, and become ablaze. Jacobs suffered serious injuries as a result. During the night, Moss and Bueb took over at Mercedes and Jaguar respectively, while Castellotti's Ferrari retired as a cylinder block had split. By 1:40 am, Moss was well-ahead of Bueb. However, he and the other remaining .

The burnt and carnaged aftermath.

Image showing the rear hood flying through the air decapitating and injuring so many spectators.

THE DEADLIEST MOTORSPORT ACCIDENT:

On lap 35, Hawthorn was narrowly leading Fangio. Prior to the pit straight, he had encountered and lapped Mercedes driver Pierre Levegh for the first time, as well as Austin-Healey's Lance Macklin in the fourth instance. Not long after lapping Macklin, Hawthorn realised he needed to pit as instructed by his team a lap earlier. He therefore veered towards the pits, and to ensure he reached his spot, braked harshly. However, he did these actions right ahead of Macklin, who was forced to take evasive action to avoid a collision since his drum brakes were less powerful than the Jaguar's. As Macklin darted to the right and slowed, Levegh was driving at 150 mph and had nowhere to go. Thus, in his final act, he warned the approaching Fangio about the disaster, which saved the Argentine's life. In contrast, the Frenchman rear-ended the Healey, causing his Mercedes to go airborne, before crashing into an embankment and erupting into flames. Levegh was thrown free from the car, and was killed instantly upon landing, aged 49. A motorsports veteran, Levegh was also known for his skating, and as a world-class ice hockey and tennis player. He had come close to winning the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans, and had also been concerned about the rising speeds of the cars heading into the 1955 edition. Meanwhile, Lance Macklin spun and collided with the opposite wall, though he escaped shaken but unharmed

The remains of Pierre Levegh's Mercedes.

Pierre Levegh.

Pierre's body.

The Mercedes itself disintegrated and exploded. Hot debris, including the engine, the rear hood, and the air brake, suddenly turned into high-speed projectiles that tore through the spectator stands before anyone had a chance to react. Many spectators were killed by the debris, with dozens decapitated by the rear hood alone. The rear of the car burst into flames, the magnesium alloy adding to the intensity of the flames. Others would perish in the explosion and resulting fire, made worse by the car's burning magnesium that sent embers into the crowd. Firefighters on-scene worsened the fire, as pouring water on magnesium only helped ignite it further, causing the flames to burn for hours. In total, 83 were dead, and a further 120 injured, in what is deemed the worst accident in motor racing history. Despite the accident's heavy death toll, the organisers decided to continue with the racing, primarily out of concern that ending the race prematurely would block the roads and prevent emergency vehicles from reaching casualties. Mercedes would withdraw from the event hours later, mostly out of respect for the dead, but also due to concern winning the race would now be a PR disaster for the German manufacturer. Other teams like Gordini withdrew, but despite requests for the Jaguar team to do the same, its team leader Lofty England declined.

Following the race's conclusion, some like the French magazine L'Auto Journal and Macklin blamed Hawthorn for the accident for cutting ahead of Macklin and braking too hard. While the Brit was reportedly upset and guilt-ridden immediately following the incident, a photo of him smiling post-race was used by the magazine as a smear, its headline stating "To your health, Mr Hawthorn." However, Hawthorn supporters believed Macklin and Levegh were not competent enough for the high-speed race, increasing the likelihood of a fatal accident. Ultimately, the official inquiry deemed no driver was at fault, and instead criticised the track for being unprepared for the increasingly quick cars. The Circuit de la Sarthe was constructed in 1923 for cars that had a top speed of 60 mph. With only limited changes since its inception, the inquiry believed the track, particularly its unguarded pit lane, was unsafe for vehicles that now had triple the top speed of the cars of the 1920s.

Thus, the track experienced multiple safety improvements, including the destruction of the original pit straight stand. Elsewhere, several countries banned motor racing temporarily, although Switzerland has yet to legalise circuit racing as of the present day. Meanwhile, Mercedes, who were already withdrawing from motor racing from 1955 onwards to concentrate on its road cars, would not make a return to motorsport until 1987.

Various footage of the race was captured, primarily from amateur and newsreel sources. Additionally, it is known that an RTF camera captured one of the few videos of the accident itself. However, the Eurovision broadcast itself has yet to resurface, having originated from an era where telerecordings were rare until videotape was perfected in the late-1950s. Nevertheless, some RTF footage was included in a French newsreel and remains the deadliest motorsport tragedy ever

Animated short film by Q. Baillieux -

HD

Note 1: I saw some Indians online saying that the guy is actually a Pakistani but could not find any further or verified information.

Note 2: I did not add that stupid music 😂😂 It was already there in the video I found (uploaded 2020), I don't know if it's the original https://www.facebook.com/syedmushtaq4/videos/266832094327215/

I'm aware somebody may have already posted this but whatevz... also couldn't come up with a more creative title for this '-'

On September 21, 2014, at 2:30 p.m., on the 67th km of the Elabuga-Perm highway, the driver of a DAF car born in 1966. collided with a VAZ-2107 car moving in front in the same direction, driven by a man born in 1975. After which the DAF car collided with an oncoming Renault Sandero car, driven by a man born in 1970. As a result of the collision, the VAZ-2107 caught fire, the driver of the VAZ was trapped in the car and died as a result of the fire. The passenger of the Renault Sandero car, a girl born in 2004, was injured and was released home after receiving medical assistance. As a result of the collision, six more cars received mechanical damage. At the moment, a criminal case has been opened regarding the accident under Part 3 of Article 264 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

https://izhevsk.ru/forummessage/161/4644561.html

NOVO HAMBURGO, BRAZIL – APRIL 10, 2024 The 25-year-old biker went for a ride with his 22-year-old girlfriend, Natiel Vitória Rodrigues. However, a serious accident occurred in the Lomba Grande neighbourhood when they collided with a car at high speed. The man was taken to hospital with minor injuries and is out of danger of life. His girlfriend wasn't so lucky. As the video shows, the asphalt massacred her. Jen rolls in pain in a pool of blood and with her body torn apart. Death occurred a short time later.

PHOTOS OF NATIEL VR

As their social networks show, they both loved the adrenaline rush associated with motorcycles. Very often they risked tricks that would made your heart stop. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened.

NATIELS IG

https://instagram.com/natielivitoriaa_/

HER BOYFRIEND'S IG

https://instagram.com/brum_2_4_4

dude is wearing a slayer shirt

i do not know any further info on their condition other than they lost control on wet roads and flipped several times..i hope they're okay

Look both ways next time so u don't end up like this idiot

tell me if repost <3

Cyclist dies after being hit by car in BA; Video shows that driver also crashed into a bus and a pole

The accident happened in Feira de Santana and was filmed by a security camera in the region.

A 32-year-old cyclist died after being hit by a car in Feira de Santana , 100 km from Salvador, on Tuesday (23). A security camera in the region recorded the moment of the accident.

The collision occurred on Avenida Getúlio Vargas, close to the intersection with Avenida Maria Quitéria. In the video, it is possible to see that the cyclist was heading in the opposite direction of the road and was passing in front of a bus stop, when he was hit by the yellow car, which was speeding.

Ademir Farias Oliveira was thrown over the car and fell onto the track. The bicycle he was using was completely destroyed.

Shortly after the accident, the car crashed into a bus that was passing through the area and into a pole. The case was confirmed by the Municipal Traffic Superintendency (SMT), but the agency did not detail the circumstances of the accident.

According to witnesses, the driver of the car felt ill and lost control of the vehicle. He was taken to a private hospital in the city, which was not named. There is no information about the driver's health status.

Source: https://g1.globo.com/ba/bahia/noticia/2024/04/24/homem-atropelado-ba.ghtml

Posting aftermath later.

A bus and two passenger cars have collided near Novocherkassk, the propaganda department of the Russian State Road Safety Department in the Rostov Region has reported.

The accident occurred on the morning of April 22 on the highway Novocherkassk - Bagayevskaya. It is reported that the passenger car VAZ-2112 broke down and stopped on the roadway. The driver behind the wheel of Daewoo Nexia volunteered to help. At that time, a passenger bus was traveling behind the passenger bus Novocherkassk - Donskoy settlement, which, according to preliminary data, drove into the passenger car.

As a result of the accident a passenger of Daewoo Nexia car born in 2004 died. Three more people were injured and hospitalized.

https://don24.ru/rubric/proisshestviya/pod-novocherkasskom-proizoshla-smertelnaya-avariya-s-uchastiem-avtobusa-i-dvuh-legkovushek.html

The incident happened in the Brazilian city of Campo Grande on January 22 at around 7pm. Footage was recorded by a security camera.

The man was the boyfriend of the driver's mother. According to police, he had assaulted and raped her mother.

Graphic footage shows the man sitting outside a building on the pavement with another male.

A car then runs into him, crushing him against the wall. After reversing, the driver then runs into the man again, at which point he lies motionless.

The other man at the scene was not hit.

Two woman then get out the car and one of them starts shouting at the man on the ground, before getting in the car and driving off.

The man was rescued by teams from the Mobile Emergency Service (Samu) and the Military Fire Department. He was to Santa Casa hospital in a serious condition,

The driver has not yet been found, and she is wanted on attempted murder.

Petrozavodsk, Russia

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Karelia reported details of the fatal accident that occurred in Petrozavodsk late on April 22 at the intersection of Lenin Avenue and Kuibyshev Street. Recall that the driver of the Kia Sportage collided with the Renault, the driver of the second car was killed.

As it became known, the culprit of the accident is a 24–year-old resident of the Murmansk region. He does not have a driver's license and was driving under the influence of alcohol. In addition, it is known that the SUV does not belong to him, and the car was wanted.

Shortly before the accident, the traffic police squad noticed the KIA car, to which an orientation was sent, in the area of the Solomenskoye highway. The police tried to stop the foreign car, but the driver did not comply with the lawful demands of the police officers to stop and tried to escape and continued driving. While evading pursuit, he drove to the intersection at a prohibited traffic light and collided with a Renault. As it became known to our website, the deceased is a resident of Petrozavodsk born in 1997. Rescuers took him out of the damaged car, but he died in the ambulance. The person responsible for the accident has no injuries. He got out of the car on his own.

A criminal case has been opened on the fact of the accident under paragraphs "a" and "b" of part 4 of Article 264 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (traffic violation resulting in death). The suspect has been detained.

https://karelia.news/news/10117986/pyanyy-bez-prav-mashina-v-rozyske-stalo-izvestno-kto-sovershil-smertelnoe-dtp-v-petrozavodske/

In Ahmedabad, once again an AMTS bus ran like a mad bull and claimed the life of a youth. A two-wheeler driver has died after being hit by an AMTS bus which turned into a death ride. An AMTS bus hit and crushed a young bike rider near Bhulabhai Park Char Road in Ahmedabad. In that too, the inhumane driver escaped from there by causing an accident. He did not bother to get down, keeping the car standing for even a second. The CCTV footage of this horrific accident has come to light.

The accident happened near Bhulabhai Park Char Rasta in Maninagar area of Ahmedabad. A video of a young man's gruesome death in an AMTS collision has surfaced. An Activa driver has died in a collision with an AMTS near Bhulabhai Park Char Rasta in the city. The AMTS bus driver ran away after causing the accident.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the bus agency that caused the accident is Arham Travels. Arham Travels is owned by Anand Daga, a former corporator from Maninagar. On the other hand, Anand Daga's wife Sheetal Daga is currently serving as BJP's Dandak in AMC. However, in the entire accident, the AMTS was satisfied with a fine of only 2 lakhs to the agency.

https://zeenews.india.com/gujarati/gujarat/deadly-amts-bus-driver-hit-and-run-case-youth-died-337775

!fresh

Aftermath:

San Cosme Xalostoc, Mexico

This morning a spectacular road accident occurred on the Mexico-Veracruz federal highway, in the Huamantla-Apizaco section, near San Cosme Xalostoc, where a van fell from a bridge, leaving at least nine people injured.

There is talk at the scene that the van was hit by a trailer, however, another theory would indicate that the van had a flat tire, which caused the driver to lose control of the unit and hit the wall. restraint and fell from a nine-meter bridge.

Due to the above, paramedics from Xaloztoc, Tocatlán, Teacalco and Amaxac arrived at the scene to treat several men who were traveling in the van, presumably, towards Apizaco.

Unofficially, it emerged that the construction workers are originally from Francisco Villa, Huamantla.

The nine seriously injured people, including a minor, were taken to different hospitals to receive specialized medical care.

However, after 1:00 p.m., it was learned that two workers had died as a result of their injuries at the IMSS-Bienestar Hospital in Tzompantepec.

Finally, his other colleagues. They continue to be observed and are reported to be in critical condition.

https://laprensadetlaxcala.com/2024/04/dos-trabajadores-de-la-construccion-accidentados-en-xaloztoc-han-perdido-la-vida-en-un-hospital/