Careless Driving Caused This Massive 15-Car Nurburgring Shunt

It's easy to let the excitement overtake you when you hit the track, but we can show you 15 reasons why it's better to leave margin for error...
Careless Driving Caused This Massive 15-Car Nurburgring Shunt

A massive and largely avoidable mass crash has been reported at the Nurburgring, damaging 15 cars and leaving two people in hospital.

According to a local police report, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS that was being driven like it was on fire popped a radiator hose right in the middle of the Hatzenbach Chicane – that’s the one you see in my photo below.

Careless Driving Caused This Massive 15-Car Nurburgring Shunt

Then, owing to the fact that no marshals were present and no yellow flags or warning lights had been activated, in tandem with other drivers’ general refusal to leave margin for error as they chase personal best lap times, 14 more cars piled in, losing grip on the coolant spill and smashing into already stranded cars.

Lap timing is banned on open days, with the owners’ idea being for people to enjoy the circuit without taking risks. We all know no one actually listens to that, though, which is how the ball gets dropped, big time.

Fog patches are one of the Nurburgring's many hazards
Fog patches are one of the Nurburgring's many hazards

Three people were taken to hospital with serious injuries, including one person who had to be cut out of their Audi and helicopter-transported to hospital. Authorities are chalking the total insurance bill well up into six figures.

The police are asking that people drive ‘on sight,’ by which we understand they mean to drive within the limits of your line of sight, i.e. making sure you can stop before hit what’s just coming into your vision.

This is the sort of carelessness that could one day see the Touristfahrten banned altogether. That said, the track has a question or two to answer about marshalling, but if you drive the old course yourself, remember that this sort of thing can and does happen…

Source: Bridge to Gantry/RheinlandPfalz Polizei

Sponsored Posts

Comments

5:19.55

Idk who’s gonna pay but he won’t be repairing his car anytime soon

11/01/2017 - 18:53 |
0 | 0
Anonymous
11/01/2017 - 19:25 |
11 | 1
Soni Redx (MD Squad Leader) (Subie Squad Leader)

Some many BMW’s.. tsk tsk tsk..

11/01/2017 - 20:25 |
1 | 0
Anonymous

American lawyers would have that track shut down in a week after this incident.

11/02/2017 - 00:31 |
3 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

And a crap ton of butthurt crybabies protesting racecars.

11/03/2017 - 02:01 |
0 | 0
DJ N

Well, technically this is still a toll road-I’ve heard before that drifting and racing other vehicles are not advised either…yet people go ahead anyway. With track damage bills being so high, I hope these people will at least financially make it out clean!

11/02/2017 - 06:59 |
0 | 0
Constantine C.K.
  • Hey Phil, lets make a track where anyone with or without driving skills can race through the track, AT THE SAME TIME!
  • Hey Bob, thats a great idea!
  • Check this porsche ou…
  • Aaaand its gone.
11/02/2017 - 07:43 |
0 | 0

Actually this is the definition of any racetrack… Just so happens the Nords is very long to be marshaled properly and very open to the public. This is not a bad thing. As usual the problem is with the tool behind the wheel.

11/02/2017 - 13:43 |
0 | 0
omgodzilla

Some people pop molly’s, 911’s pop radiaror hoses

11/02/2017 - 08:28 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Passed through Hatzenbach probably seconds before it happened… coolant & oil on track absolute nightmare. Looked like a bomb went off there when I passed through next morning.
Stay safe everyone!

11/02/2017 - 10:45 |
1 | 0
Lauge

The beauty of Nürburgring.
No for real, people have to think! Drive responsible!! For real these people will get the track shut down forever one day. The Nürburgring is the most amazing place on earth but some real scumbag decide to go there too. We must protect the ring!!

11/03/2017 - 08:38 |
2 | 0