According to information from the organizers, the incident occurred right at the beginning of the race when 7 racing cars collided in a chain reaction, forcing the race to be temporarily stopped for rescue forces to access the scene. Mr. Juha Miettinen driving the BMW 325i number 121, was seriously injured and transferred to the nearest medical center, but did not survive afterwards. Six other racers were also injured but not life-threatening.
The race organizers confirmed that they stopped the race immediately after the accident. In the official announcement, they said that the rescue team arrived very quickly at the scene, but all efforts to resuscitate the 66-year-old racer were unsuccessful. At the same time, the organizers sent condolences to the family and relatives of the victim.
After the incident, 4-time world champion Max Verstappen - who also participated in activities at this racetrack - sent condolences on social networks. He said that the accident is a clear reminder of the level of risk that is always present in speed sports.
According to statistics from the organizers, this is the first death in a race held in Nordschleife since June 2013. Currently, local authorities are conducting an investigation to clarify the cause of the aforementioned chain collision.
