A crash during the 24 Hours of Le Mans killed 84 spectators and a driver — making it motorsport's deadliest accident and banning racing in several countries.
On June 11, 1955, Jaguar driver Mike Hawthorn braked suddenly to pit, forcing Lance Macklin to swerve into Pierre Levegh's Mercedes. The front wheel of Levegh's car rode up Macklin's rear like a ramp, launching the 300 SLR into the air and into a packed spectator area.
Levegh's Mercedes was built with a magnesium alloy body — a metal that burns intensely and cannot be extinguished with water. When rescuers sprayed water on the wreckage, the fire erupted violently, burning for hours and killing many of the 84 people who died that night.
The official inquiry found no single driver at fault, calling it a 'terrible racing incident.' Instead, blame was placed on inadequate track safety design — the grandstand area had no real barrier between the cars and spectators.
Race officials controversially kept the race running throughout the disaster. Mercedes-Benz withdrew their remaining cars at 1:45 a.m. out of respect, while Jaguar pressed on and won — a decision that sparked outrage around the world.
Several countries banned motorsport entirely in response. Switzerland enacted the most lasting prohibition — its ban on circuit racing wasn't lifted until 2022, a full 67 years after the crash.
The disaster triggered sweeping safety reforms across motorsport. The pit straight was redesigned, dangerous track kinks removed, and barriers improved. American driver John Fitch became a safety advocate and invented the 'Fitch barrel' crash attenuator still used on highways today.
The AAA, which had sanctioned American motorsport, shut down its Contest Board after the disaster. The United States Automobile Club took over as the new racing authority, marking a turning point in how the sport was governed and regulated.