1955 Le Mans disaster
Witness History
00:00
The Tragic Accident in the History of Motor Racing
30 people were killed and 50 injured when a Mercedes struck the earth bank. The bosses at Mercedes couldn't be reached until the early hours of the morning. They then withdrew two laps ahead of Jaguar who went on to win. Mike Hawthorne was pictured shaking up a bottle of champagne and smiling, but according to John Fitch, just hours earlier, he'd been distraught admitting his life as a driver was over.
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