Brand Hatch F3000 1988

Start of the F3000 race at Brands Hatch in 1988. Johnny Herbert is grievously injured in a 10 car pile up on the first lap

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Johnny
• Herbert
• F3000
• Motorsport
• crash

[backtwobedlam]

I was a paramedic on that day, a couple of turns up, with the car I was driven around the circuit until it got to where Johnny was, my duty that day was getting the morphine, and giving him heaps of it. He was choppered out after a short while in the Med Centre to Queen Mary's Hospital.

[AndyW76]

I was at Brands as a spectator that day. My dad used to sponsor Russell Spence. I remember people saying that Herbert wouldn't race again and that his injuries were worse than Jacques Laffite's. Incidentally, Russell had a lucky escape (he was cars 17) when he was hit on the head by a tyre. If he hadn't slowed down for the crash, he might have been seriously injured by it.

[birrman2008]

Which one was Herbert?

[AndyW76]

Herbert was the yellow car starting from poleposition. He was running 3rd when the crash happens.

[AleXcr86]

That's two sickeningly high-speed head-on impacts for Johnny, it was almost certainly the second one that crushed his feet because the car's crumple zones had already done their work after he hit the wall. I think he could have been F1 champion.

[AndyW76]

The entire nose box on the car was gone at the first impact. At the second impact, the first thing to hit the barrier was Johnny's feet.

[AleXcr86]

There's a very insightful interview with Johnny in Motorsport magazine this month, and he talks about this crash. He said when his car came to a stop all he could see was a hole in the monocoque where his legs should be, and he shouted at the marshals to knock him out.

Seven years later when he won the British GP, he said for the last ten laps he was screaming into his helmet because his legs hurt so much, but he never told anyone.

Guys like him and Zanardi are genuine heroes.

[Nohjjohnthegreat]

This is what one small mistake can do.

[TheDeejayTH]

the evelst crash i've ever seen

[cassin16]

@schumisatokubica I've actually read the interview with him where he said he found a blade of grass growing out of his toe a couple of years later. It was in an issue of F1 Racing! maybe is was having a laugh coz he was always that kinda guy but would be gross if he was serious!

[getupstairstobed]

this is up there with the best single seater crashes but although you cant see any of it spa 98 was the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[africanjungle52]

o.O

[hash626]

yea just look at that camel car when its being taken away, its amazing he lived. and a few years later he won Le Mans

[jbutton113]

Good old Johnny Herbert, very unlucky driver

[schumisatokubica]

Appearentely theres still some grass in his legs