Roger Williamson and David Purley

During the race, Williamson suffered a sudden tyre deflation, which pitched his car into the barriers at high speed and catapulted it 300 yards (275 m) across the track, eventually coming to rest upside down against the barriers on the other side, during which his petrol tank had ignited while being scraped along the track. A fire began to take hold and Williamson was unable to extricate himself. Fellow driver and friend David Purley, although not a teammate of Williamson's, abandoned his own race in a desperate and valiant attempt to rescue him. Williamson had not been seriously injured by the impact, and was heard shouting to Purley to get him out of the car as Purley tried in vain to turn the car upright. Initially the commentators on Dutch TV, race control and some of the other drivers participating in the race assumed that it was Purley's car that had crashed and that the driver had escaped unharmed. As a result the race continued at full pace while Purley desperately tried to save the life of his friend. The fire marshals stationed at the corner where the accident occurred were both poorly trained and badly equipped, and it was left to Purley to snatch the sole fire extinguisher and attempt to put out the fire. The marshals, who were not wearing flame retardant overalls, stood by as Purley tackled the fire, awaiting the arrival of the fire truck, which had to navigate across the track while the race was still in progress. There appeared to have been ample time to right the car and pull Williamson out, but as desperately as he tried, Purley was unable to do it by himself, and the marshals, in shirts and jackets, were unable to help due to the intense heat. With the fire extinguisher emptied and the car still burning upside-down, the situation became hopeless, and the distraught Purley was led away by a marshal. Some spectators, appalled at Williamson's plight, tried to breach the safety fences in order to help Purley, but were pushed back by track security staff with dogs. It was some eight minutes before the first fire truck arrived on the scene. By the time the car was eventually righted, and the fire extinguished, Williamson had died of asphyxiation. A blanket was thrown over the burnt-out wreck with Williamson still inside, and the race carried on. Photographs taken by Cor Mooij of the reaction of David Purley were awarded the World Press Photo for sports in 1974. Purley was awarded the George Medal for his actions in trying to save Williamson. In 2003, on the 30th anniversary of his fatal crash, a bronze statue of Roger Williamson was unveiled at the Donington Park circuit in Leicestershire, England. Then-owner Tom Wheatcroft had provided financial backing to Williamson, and described the day Williamson died as "the saddest day of my life".

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• roger williamson
• david purley
• car
• formula 1
• dangerous
• death
• dead
• accident
• deadly
• friend
• fire
• race

[jdmk20aek]

whats the name of this song please : )

[Zafir001]

@jdmk20aek The song: Jimmy Eat World - Hear You Me

[117taekwondo]

Los verdaderos heroes no llevan capa ni tienen superpoderes

[musicmanstingray1234]

How can they just drive past? You can win all the races you like but Purley is the real hero and anyone who helps another always will be.

[lewiso1000]

Hey, the cars were going past at 150mph, the drivers would have presumed the marshals and safety team would have it taken care of.

Great men like Jackie Stewart were in this race and if they had known what was happening they would have certainly stopped. Cut the drivers some slack.

[A5H87]

Happy Birthday David. RIP. An absolute inspiration. 

[dog1339]

this guy's the real winner

[emomerda89]

hero...

[Sooksawaspakdee961]

The other drivers thought David was the driver of the overturned car.

[exced21]

1:29

The moment when he realizes he can no longer save him :'(

[luismf20]

La cancion se llama hear your me de jimmy eat worl

[luismf20]

@117taekwondo Tu lo haz dicho