The World's Most Expensive Car Crash? - Ferrari Fleet Ruined in Pricey Japan Pile-up

Eight Ferraris and a Lamborghini were among the vehicles involved in a chain collision of luxury cars on a Japanese freeway Sunday.

Source: http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-news/a-gathering-of-narcissists-police-hit-o... (video extracted with StreamTransport)

Police have described supercar drivers involved in a 14 car pile-up in Japan as "a gathering of narcissists", with speed and wet conditions the likely cause of the spectacular crash that turned several luxury cars into scrap metal.

The crash on an expressway in Japan that ruined eight Ferraris, three Mercedes-Benzes and a Lamborghini Diablo has been described by international news outlets as the world's most expensive car crash, with the damage estimated at between $1 million and $4 million.

A witness told local media he saw the convoy of luxury cars travelling at speeds of about 160km/h, more than twice the speed limit on the Chugoku Expressway, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, about 10.15am on Sunday, London's Daily Telegraph reported.

"A group of cars was doing 140km/h to 160km/h," the witness told TBS News.

"One of them spun and they all ended up in this huge mess."

The accident happened on a drenched stretch of road as a group of car buffs travelled from Kyushu to Hiroshima, Bloomberg reported.

"The accident occurred when the driver of a red Ferrari was switching from the right lane to the left and skidded," said Mitsuyoshi Isejima, executive officer for Yamaguchi Prefecture's Expressway Traffic Police unit.

"It was a gathering of narcissists."

The drivers were between 37 and 60 years old, he said.

Mr Isejima said the man police believed to be responsible for the crash was a 60-year-old self-employed man from Fukuoka prefecture.

He could be jailed for up to three months or fined $1250.

The Telegraph reported a Nissan GT-R and a Toyota Prius hybrid were also damaged in the pile-up, with the driver of the Prius believed to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Ten people suffered cuts and bruises in the pile-up, which took six hours to clear from the road.

The New York Times reported that the crash caught the world's attention not only because of the number of luxury cars involved, but because it gave a glimpse of Japan's "super rich", who rarely make public shows of their wealth.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• luxury
• car
• crash
• chain
• collision
• pile-up
• accident
• scrap
• metal
• japanese
• freeway
• Japan
• Ferrari
• Lamborghini
• Diablo
• Mercedes-Benz
• Nissan
• Toyota
• Prius

[xionz83]

this is promotional video of Prius or maybe GTR35 ad ?!

[ChuffChuffWoo]

5 Mangled Masaratis, 4 Bashed Bentlys, 3 Trashed TVR's, 2 Frazzled Farrari's and a Prius in a Pear tree! :-)

[ChuffChuffWoo]

@lambomk123 Even worse, a PRIUS died in that lot - terrible!!! :-)

[P4NZ3RIV]

I feel sorry for the owner(s) of the MB & the GT-R, the Ferrari's & the Lamborghini can be crushed for all I care; I personally dislike Ferrari's & Lamborghini's. The Toyota...can be...scrapped as well I guess. XD

[FortitudeOfHeaven]

Just in: The Gecko has died of cardiac arrest.

[SillyWabbit28]

Nationwide is on your side! lol

[egoatnsnakesaints]

They use to drive fast and furious... then they took an arrow in the tire!

[lambomk123]

FERARRIS? *pftt* LAMBORGHINIS DIED THAT DAY< AND THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT A FEW FERRARIS?!?!?!?!

[urbanawp]

@KratosBF3 so ture!

[KratosBF3]

don't lie they where racing