The Most Tragic Ends In Racing
Sad Ending
Auto racing is a fast and exciting sport. But it is also a very dangerous one that has ended in tragedy for many a racer throughout the history of the sport.
Attilio Caffaratti (1900)
It was the first ever motorsport fatality in Italy and it occurred on September 10, 1900 at the Coppa Florio car and motorcycle race in the Circuito di Brescia. 22-year-old Attilio Caffaratti was riding a three-wheel Darracq-Soncin when his vehicle left the road and crashed. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Le Mans Disaster (1955)
The most catastrophic crash in the history of motorsport happened at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans. It all began when Mike Hawthorn started slowing down for a pit stop. He pulled in front of Lance Macklin—who then swerved to avoid the slowed car in front of him, but in doing so, landed right in the path of Pierre Levegh. Levegh crashed into the rear of Macklin's car and went flying into the air—hitting a berm and careening into a crowd of spectators.
Le Mans Disaster (1955)
Upon hitting the area of spectators, Levegh was thrown from his car, landing back on the track. He was killed instantly but his car continued to cause tragic damage all around. Large pieces of the vehicle—from the block engine to the hood—detached from the car and flew into the crowd, while the back part of his vehicle landed on the berm and burst into flames.
Le Mans Disaster (1955)
In all, 83 spectators were killed, along with Levegh—and over 100 more were injured. The crash was so devastating that it led to motorsport bans in a number of European countries. In fact, Switzerland instituted a ban that was only lifted in 2022.
