June 11, 1955: The Worst Disaster In Motorsport History

June 11, 1955: The most catastrophic accident in motorsport history occurs, at the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans, in the city of the same name in France.

The race began with Pierre Levegh, a 49-year-old Parisian, behind the wheel of the #20 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, run by Daimler-Benz. American John Fitch was Levegh's assigned partner in the car, and he would take over driving duties later. Competition between Mercedes, Jaguar, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Maserati was close, with all the marques fighting for the top positions early on. The race was extremely fast, with lap records being repeatedly broken.

At the end of Lap 35, Levegh was following Mike Hawthorn's leading Jaguar D-type, just as they were entering the pit straight. Hawthorn had just passed Lance Macklin's slower Austin-Healey 100 when he belatedly noticed a pit signal to stop for fuel. Hawthorn slowed suddenly in an effort to stop rather than make another lap. Hawthorn's Jaguar, with the new disc brakes, slowed much more quickly than other cars using drum brakes, such as Levegh's Mercedes.

The sudden, unexpected braking by Hawthorn caused Macklin in the Healey to hit his brakes, throwing up a small cloud of dust in front of Levegh, who trailed close behind. Macklin then swerved across the center of the track, attempting to re-pass the slowing Jaguar, but also apparently out of control. Macklin had not noticed both Levegh and Juan Manuel Fangio, in another 300 SLR, approaching rapidly from behind. Fangio was in second place at the time, but directly behind, and attempting to lap Levegh.

Levegh, ahead of Fangio on the track, did not have time to react. Levegh's car made contact with the left rear of Macklin's car as he closed upon the slowed car at about 150 miles per hour. When Levegh hit the Austin-Healey from behind, his car became airborne, soaring towards the left side of the track, where it landed atop the earthen embankment separating spectators from the track itself.

Levegh's 300 SLR struck the mound at such speed and angle that it was launched into a somersault, which caused some parts of the car, already damaged and loosened by the collision, to be flung from the vehicle at very great speeds. This included the hood and the front axle, both of which separated from the frame and flew through the crowd. The flying steel hood decapitated tightly jammed spectators like a guillotine.

With the front of the spaceframe chassis, and thus crucial engine mounts, destroyed, the car's heavy engine block also broke free and hurtled into the crowd. Spectators who had climbed onto trestle tables to get a better view of the track found themselves in the direct path of lethal debris. Levegh was also thrown free of the tumbling car, fatally crushing his skull when he landed.

Pierre Levegh

As the remains of the 300 SLR slowed its somersault, the rear-mounted fuel tank ruptured. The ensuing fuel fire raised the temperature of the remaining Elektron bodywork past its ignition temperature, which, due to its high magnesium content, was lower than for other metal alloys. The alloy burst into white-hot flames, sending searing embers onto the track and into the crowd. Rescue workers, totally unfamiliar with how to attack a magnesium fire, poured water on the inferno, greatly intensifying the fire. As a result, the car burned for several hours.

Fangio, driving behind Levegh, narrowly escaped the heavily damaged Austin-Healey, which was now skidding to the right of the track, across his path. Macklin then hit the pit wall and bounced back to the left, crossing the track again. He struck the barrier near the location of the now burning 300 SLR, causing the death of another single spectator, although Macklin himself survived the incident without serious injury.

In spite of the obvious, if as yet unquantified, tragedy, the race was continued, officially in order to prevent departing spectators from crowding the roads and slowing down ambulances.

An emergency meeting of the Daimler-Benz board of directors was convened by midnight, at the request of John Fitch. Mindful of sensitivities involving German cars in a French race just 10 years after the end of World War II, they decided to pull out as a sign of respect to the victims.

Eight hours after the accident, while leading the race, the Mercedes team withdrew the cars of Juan Manuel Fangio/Stirling Moss and Karl Kling/André Simon. Mercedes invited Jaguar to also retire, but they declined. Mike Hawthorn and the Jaguar team, led by motorsport manager Lofty England, kept racing. Hawthorn won the race with teammate Bueb.

Official accounts put the death total at 84 -- 83 spectators plus Levegh -- either by flying debris or from the fire, with a further 120 injured. Other observers estimated the toll to be much higher.

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June 11, 1955 was a Saturday. Yuriy Georgiyevich Sedykh, the Soviet who became the greatest hammer-thrower in track & field history, was born. And these baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Cleveland Indians, 7-6 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Bobby Ávila singled Jim Hegan home with the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning, off Johnny Kucks, in relief of Eddie Lopat. This made Art Houtteman a winning pitcher in relief of Don Mossi.

Hegan, Larry Doby, Al Rosen and Vic Wertz hit home runs for Cleveland. Eddie Robinson, who turned out to be the last surviving member of the Indians' 1948 World Champions, hit a home run for the Yankees. Mickey Mantle went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Yogi Berra went 3-for-4 with an RBI.

* The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs, 4-3 at Ebbets Field. Billy Loes was the winning pitcher. The Dodgers' runs all came on solo home runs: By Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, Gil Hodges and Junior Gilliam. The Cubs' runs all came on a home run by Jim King. Ernie Banks went 0-for-4.

* The Milwaukee Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-4 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Hank Aaron wetn 2-for-4 with an RBI. Rookie Roberto Clemente went 0-for-4 with a walk.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox, 7-5 at Briggs Stadium (later Tiger Stadium) in Detroit. Al Kaline, just 20 years old and on his way to becoming the youngest player in major league history to win a batting title, hit a home run. Ted Williams went 1-for-3 with a walk.

* The Chicago White Sox beat the Washington Senators, 10-0 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Virgil Trucks pitched a 7-hit shutout.

* The Kansas City Athletics beat the Baltimore Orioles, 2-1 at Kansas City Municipal Stadium.

* The New York Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals were rained out at the Polo Grounds. The game was made up as part of a doubleheader on July 19. The Cards won the opener, 3-1. The Jints won the nightcap, 4-2. Over the 2 games, Willie Mays went 3-for-8 with a solo home run, and Stan Musial went 1-for-6 with 2 walks.

* And the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies were rained out at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. That game was also made up as part of a doubleheader on July 19. The Phils swept, 7-3 and 6-2.