An F1 marshal was killed Sunday when a freak accident caused him to fall in the path of a moving crane. The crane was tasked to remove the damaged Sauber driven by Esteban Gutierrez following the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The crane operator failed to notice the marshal.
While officials will not immediately release the identity of the race track worker, sources report the victim was a member of the Automobile Club de l'Ile Notre Dame. What's more, the 38-year-old man had been a track veteran for ten years.
The accident occurred Sunday afternoon shortly after defending world champion Sebastian Vettel of team Red Bull Racing crossed the checkered flag.
F1 spokesperson Matteo Bonciani delivered a statement to the press following the tragedy:
"The recovery vehicle had lifted the car to return it to the pits, and while doing this, the worker dropped his radio and attempted to pick it up. As he did this, he stumbled and was hit and run over by the recovery vehicle."
Suffering serious injuries, reports claimed the 38-year-old track official was still conscious immediately after the incident. Nearby track doctors raced to treat the injuries within 30 seconds to stabilize the man's condition. The track marshal was then airlifted to Sacre-Coeur Hospital.
"Unfortunately, the worker succumbed to his injuries at the hospital," said Bonciani, expressing that organizers would like "to communicate their deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim."
Twitter user F1McG captured the incident. Warning the following image is graphic:
While motorsports is inherently dangerous, Formula 1 regulations have put in place strict measures to apply the highest levels of safety. Fatalities are extremely rare.
The last deadly Formula 1 accident occurred 12 years ago at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix. BAR Honda racing driver Jacques Villeneuve failed to brake soon enough into a corner, slamming into the rear of Ralf Schumacher's Williams. The accident caused the BAR Honda to launch into the air for nearly 100 yards before colliding into a barrier, sending shattered debris in all directions. A Volunteer marshal was struck by the BAR Honda's wheel at 185 mph.
"It's terrible," said Grand Prix promoter Francois Dumontier. "It tarnishes the superb weekend that we had. I am devastated to learn this, I don't have any other words."
Esteban Gutierrez tweeted his thoughts amid the tragedy. "My dearest condolences to the family of the marshal who lost his life today, our prayers for him & his family. RIP."
