Absolute luckiest walk-away escape?

Didn't the car actually fly into a pedestrian underbridge pass?

I believe it did, yes. I think the Lotus losing its rear wing was the cause, although I'm not certain. 

I believe it did, yes. I think the Lotus losing its rear wing was the cause, although I'm not certain.

I don't think it caught fire, Lamy broke both legs in the incident but was never in danger of losing his life, the accident was possibly caused by Max Mosley making sweeping changes after Imola when they reduced the diffuser length which caused the car to be unstable, it was the second big accident at Silversone that year after Lehto crashed and fractured his vertebrae in pre season testing. 

IIRC it took some time to locate Lamy with the car ending up in the tunnel, sure someone can shed some light? 

No choice for many , but this thread is really asking 'what is the best crash you've seen on telly - and which can be mentioned because the driver wasn't too seriously hurt '? 

 

From trackside the worst I have seen was a FF1600 rolling end over end about 15 feet up on Silverstone Club circuit in the 80s into Woodcote. I suspect the driver was even more surprised than I was that he left the scene of the carnage under his own power . Pre safety  car and  code 60 nonsense , but no red flag - some waved yellows for a bit...

 

Rallying - Dave Metcalfe's Nova rolling straight at me at silly speed in Wass forest in the 80s , or Mikkola's Escort crash at what became known as Mikkola's bend . I was there - my first ever marshaling job 

I was in Dalby when Pentti Airikkla crashed in 1990 on the RAC Rally the most amazing thing about the accident was people nicking parts as soon he got out, a sure sign I was in the north!

I was in Dalby when Pentti Airikkla crashed in 1990 on the RAC Rally the most amazing thing about the accident was people nicking parts as soon he got out, a sure sign I was in the north!

Unfair. I have a bit of Palmer Audi in my garage and I was born in Hemel Hempstead.

This one could have been a whole lot worse, both for the driver and any spectators who happened to be in the tunnel.

https://youtu.be/Y3dcaOtDHYE

That would be here?



Without the bollards, of course.

That's it Ray, though the road is much wider these days than it was when racing was taking place there.

Alex Janoray had a big shunt just round the corner during the last meeting held there before the circuit closed in 1993 and was extremely lucky not to end up in the same ravine as Francia had 18 years earlier. I think he suffered concussion but no broken bones   

Edited by LittleChris, 14 November 2018 - 23:14.

Rather than walking he had to jump on one foot, but Tambay's escape from his crash at Las Vegas 1981 (a few turns after being spun by De Cesaris) comes to mind. The footage is also interesting re. some discussions in other threads about the safety of the 1981-82 ground effect cars...

https://www.youtube....h?v=GW18GsK9PUc

Rather than walking he had to jump on one foot, but Tambay's escape from his crash at Las Vegas 1981 (a few turns after being spun by De Cesaris) comes to mind. The footage is also interesting re. some discussions in other threads about the safety of the 1981-82 ground effect cars...

Edited by Henri Greuter, 16 November 2018 - 08:24.

This one could have been a whole lot worse, both for the driver and any spectators who happened to be in the tunnel.
 
https://youtu.be/Y3dcaOtDHYE

I haven't found fotage of it but one from 1981 that reads as horrible: in his book Grand Prix Story '81 Heinz Pruller described a crash by Brian Henton in which "Henton shook off pieces Toleman and walked away from the site"

I remember that phrase while, scary as it must have been, it reads somewhat humorous, hence I remember it for that reason. Don't remember anymore in which practice session it took place.

Presume he was writing about Silverstone and the crash at Woodcote.  There are a few pictures on the web.  The car almost looks like one from a comedy sketch: approaching from the near side it doesn't look too bad (other than one of the offside wheels is in the fence behind you...)

Martin Brundle's 1996 Australia crash.

https://www.youtube....h?v=mQjXkfqYWoo

Martin didn't walk away - he RAN away, back to the pits to get in the spare for the restart.

In response to Antti Salmi's post: I'm absolutely amazed that these two NASCAR drivers lived to tell the tale, and not much the worse for wear (which definitely cannot be said for their cars!). add to that that these two shunts were right at the same spot with near-identical dynamics...amazing they didn't fix the Bristol wall after Waltrip's accident, but needed a reapeat before doing it...

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=r-r3jIgrSiY

How in the world did the series race with a configuration like that???

Katherine Legge's 2006 shunt at Road America looked horrendous on the TV coverage. Interviewed on leaving the medical centre about 15 minutes later her only concern was that her bruised knees wouldn't look attractive at the post race banquet. 

I'm pretty optimistic with modern race cars, my heart sank when i saw Greg moore's shunt and whilst Legge's did not look as bad, it was not great ... i was unsure rather than 'convinced" ala Moore. 

How in the world did the series race with a configuration like that???

That is mind boggling. How in the hell?????

Four Brands Hatch incidents come to mind, all from some of the earliest meetings I attended. Jo Bonnier rolling his T70 on Bottom Straight at the '69 BOAC 500 (did he walk away, or was he stretchered?) and one year later Barrie Smith destroying his T70 on Top Straight at the end of the first lap. I think he only had wets on the front!

I believe that Jo was taken away by stretcher, though still conscious (see video : )

Presume he was writing about Silverstone and the crash at Woodcote.  There are a few pictures on the web.  The car almost looks like one from a comedy sketch: approaching from the near side it doesn't look too bad (other than one of the offside wheels is in the fence behind you...)

I witnessed that accident from the grandstand. Henton walked away having suffered a scalded thigh (per Autocourse). It didn't register in my mind as a particularly serious accident. Did Pruller write for a tabloid? 

I witnessed that accident from the grandstand. Henton walked away having suffered a scalded thigh (per Autocourse). It didn't register in my mind as a particularly serious accident. Did Pruller write for a tabloid? 

No, it was in the German language Annual he writes every year since 1972. He is an Austrian BTW

Just saw this one whilst resarching my Nordschliefe trip:

https://youtu.be/5qAtkf2jAZc

Assume he was ok, the roll cage did a job for him. Some serious rotation!

Just saw this one whilst resarching my Nordschliefe trip:

 

https://youtu.be/5qAtkf2jAZc

 

Assume he was ok, the roll cage did a job for him. Some serious rotation!

WOW!!! That has to be close to the record for number of rolls in one accident!

WOW!!! That has to be close to the record for number of rolls in one accident!

One of the comments under the video is by John Schoffner, who wrote: "Hey. I'm the driver. Nice catch on the vid. Thanks for being there. Any chance I can get some stills from that? BTW - I'm fine, not a scratch, but my face filled with blood from the spins, they were horrific. Everybody- buy a Porsche!!"

I made it 9 1/2 rotations too; I bet it disturbed his sleep patterns for a while...

Mark Webber's crash in the 2010 European GP at Valencia....

Also, the Dave Matthews, Dave Brodie etc incident in the Saloon Car Race at the 1973 British GP....

Edited by Dick Dastardly, 17 November 2018 - 21:10.

Argentina, TC2000, 1998:

WOW!!! That has to be close to the record for number of rolls in one accident!

Maynard Troyer flipped 15 times at Daytona in 1971.

https://www.youtube....h?v=apQi5MRymoY

Edited by king_crud, 17 November 2018 - 22:52.

Also, the Dave Matthews, Dave Brodie etc incident in the Saloon Car Race at the 1973 British GP....

Not exactly a "walk-away" for anybody involved in that one...!

The accident at Macau this morning is certainly right up there in the "How on earth did they survive that?" League.

The news filtering through is that all will make a recovery from their injuries..............

https://www.facebook...d_comment_reply

Apologies I am sure there is a better link to Wolfgang's video.....

Edited by SamoanAttorney, 18 November 2018 - 13:05.

The accident at Macau this morning is certainly right up there in the "How on earth did they survive that?" League.

Hardly a 'walk-away' - a seventeen-year-old driver is now hospitalized with a spinal fracture.

Perhaps it's best if we prevent this thread from creeping into a collection of links to every lurid accident on the internet.

The accident at Macau this morning is certainly right up there in the "How on earth did they survive that?" League.

 

The news filtering through is that all will make a recovery from their injuries..............

 

https://www.facebook...d_comment_reply

 

Apologies I am sure there is a better link to Wolfgang's video.....

I read about this earlier but MUTHER!!!!!!!!

I read about this earlier but MUTHER!!!!!!!!

Rick?? at Indy in 1971???

Hardly a 'walk-away' - a seventeen-year-old driver is now hospitalized with a spinal fracture.

 

Perhaps it's best if we prevent this thread from creeping into a collection of links to every lurid accident on the internet.

And/or restrict ourselves to the ones in which the drivers actually did walk away, be it with assisted by paramedics or not.

Frightening, this one at the Macau GP today that put Sophia Florsch in the hospital with a spinal fracture and also hit marshals and photographers.

https://macaudailyti...d-the-race.html

Rick?? at Indy in 1971???

Nope...Lee "Muther" Mueller, longtime SCCA and IMSA driver.  

 

 

Bob Watson's descent of the Mountain in '69 (or '70?) when he took off to the left over the Armco at Skyline must have been a dirty uhderpants job, too.

Ray are you thinking of the flight Tony Roberts took off Skyline in his GTHO a mere six laps from the end of the 1970 Hardie Ferodo?

Roberts had previously teamed up with Bob Watson in 1968 when they finished third in their HK 327 Monaro.

https://youtu.be/d2OZd_Pkhb8

Edited by KBY191, 19 November 2018 - 02:21.

Sorry, yes, Tony Roberts...

Frightening, this one at the Macau GP today that put Sophia Florsch in the hospital with a spinal fracture and also hit marshals and photographers.

 

 

https://macaudailyti...d-the-race.html

 I saw this on another website and was utterly horrified at the speed and violence of the accident . It is not a fast corner but the car , already airborne, is flying at a speed which is near incomprehensible.

Like many , I'm sure, I'm conflicted in commenting on accidents in which people are seriously hurt. I don't want to feel I am being 'entertained' by a drives's misfortune , but what else is it if I watch? It is part of the sport  nobody sane would profess to like , but we click on the link  - and I certainly can't pretend it is research .

 ... but we click on the link  - and I certainly can't pretend it is research .

Well, maybe you could; just about…

When the mass media and non-enthusiast public highlights the junior formulae, it is usually bad news.
If folks from ‘outside’ might be commenting critically on ‘our’ sport (particularly likely in view of the driver being a, female and b, so young), perhaps it’s good to know the background; especially if a high profile accident precipitates hysteria, changes to formulae, regulations or to circuits.

But yes, there is something horrifyingly compelling about the various films of that incident which do make me ask questions of myself.

I saw it yesterday morning, as someone watching the race live sent me a ‘link’ - the driver being someone we’d watched racing in Ginetta Juniors (to much acclaim) and I already knew that the impact was not fatal. It is certainly not a ‘walk away’ for anyone involved - indeed for the sport itself. The injuries sustained by the others sound particularly unpleasant.

The incident began someway back down the straight: there have been claims (from drivers, it is said) that someone slowed suddenly in response to a yellow light that was shown momentarily, possibly in error. I have, however, not seen any hard evidence or official comment on that.

 I saw this on another website and was utterly horrified at the speed and violence of the accident . It is not a fast corner but the car , already airborne, is flying at a speed which is near incomprehensible.

 

Like many , I'm sure, I'm conflicted in commenting on accidents in which people are seriously hurt. I don't want to feel I am being 'entertained' by a drives's misfortune , but what else is it if I watch? It is part of the sport  nobody sane would profess to like , but we click on the link  - and I certainly can't pretend it is research .

I share the conflicting feelings and I hesitated to post the link that was sent to me by a friend. I would say it was my disbelief (how could someone arrive at the Lisboa corner at such speed?)that prompted me to open the link. And then decided to share it as a documentary evidence of the accident - while knowing it wasn't lethal.

But yes, borderline.

How long you are going to continue off topic talk? There are thread about that accident but it's certainly not in topic with this thread.

Exactly my take, Richard.

Yet to find an angle showing what happened but presume there was left-front to right-rear contact that launched her right before or at the braking point.

Is this the first valid life-save of the halo?