#SpinechillingFootage: Driver's racing-car flies after accident in Macau Grand Prix
In a horrifying incident, a teenage German driver crashed her vehicle in the Macau Grand Prix's Formula Three final, flew in the air, and fractured her spine. The video of the accident, involving 17-year-old Sophia Floersch, was captured by onlookers from all angles and has since become the talking point on the web. The good news is that Floersch is conscious. Here's more.
Floersch lost control of vehicle, flew over her competitors
The dramatic video, widely shared on social media, showed Floersch lost control of the racing car, flying over other participants and then hitting a track fence. Before landing back on the wheels, the Van Amersfoort Racing car hurtled in the photographers' bunker. The accident left Japanese driver Sho Tsuboi, two photographers and a marshal injured. All five were rushed to the hospital.
Here is the video of the accident
Another racer recalls what happened, says it was scary
The speed of Floersch's vehicle was recorded at 276.2kmph. She was followed by Ferrari junior driver Guan Yu Zhou, who explained the scary incident. He said Floersch was really close to Jehan Daruvala. So when Daruvala applied brakes, she had no time to react. "She hit right-rear, and that spun her around straight into Lisboa, and she flew into the other car," Zhou said.
The injured were conscious while being taken to hospital
Fortunately, Floersch and other injured, who were taken to the hospital, remained conscious during the transit. In a statement, the FIA said, "Following evaluation by medical staff, the driver is conscious and has subsequently been taken to hospital for further evaluation." Her vitals are stable, reports said. Floersch in a tweet confirmed she will be undergoing a surgery on Monday.
Thanks for the support, she tweets
Others who were injured are being treated
Tsuboi, another competitor who was injured, suffered from lumbar pain while track marshal Chan Cha In got a fractured jaw. Photographer Minami Hiroyuki suffered a concussion and his colleague Chan Weng Wang got a liver laceration.
The accident terrified everyone
The accident sent shivers down the spine of many. Renowned racer Charles Leclerc tweeted: Just saw the F3 crash in Macau. Really hope to read some good news soon about all the people involved. Jenson Button wrote: Sorry to hear that @SophiaFloersch has a spinal fracture but looking at the horrific accident she had today in Macau it could have been so much worse.
