1955 Le Mans disaster

On 11 June 1955, a multi-vehicle collision occurred during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans in Sarthe, France, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 82 to 84 people. The disaster occurred at the Circuit de la Sarthe, when a mid-race collision sent Mercedes driver Pierre Levegh and his car into a spectator arena, causing his car to disintegrate and throwing him onto the racetrack, killing him instantly. Debris from the car and the arena flew into the crowd, killing at least 82 people. The disaster is the deadliest event in motorsport history, prompting multiple European countries to ban motorsports entirely; Switzerland did not lift its ban until 2022.