250 SWB Berlinetta involved in fatal crash this morning in Germany

Very sad news today from Germany. Looks like 3169 GT.

Marcel Massini

https://www.merkur.de/bayern/bullach-nuernberg-mann-prallt-mit-ferrari-gegen-baum-und-stirbt-12636597.html

https://www.nordbayern.de/region/lauf/mann-stirbt-nach-unfall-mit-ferrari-oldtimer-in-lauf-1.9030090

 

That's awful. Translated below

With a historic Ferrari, a man had a fatal accident on the weekend. In one turn he collided with a tree.

Nuremberg - A 78-year-old man died in a fatal car accident near Nuremberg. The man drove on Sunday morning with his car on the county road between Bullach and Simonshofen (circle Nuremberg country) in a left turn against a tree, as the police announced.


The driver suffered such serious injuries that helper and ambulance could not save his life. The road was blocked in both directions. According to News5 news agency, the man was in a historic Ferrari.

 

A series of additional crash photos has been published on the German newssite (link in post #1):
Source: www.nordbayern.de with copyrights by "News5/Friedrich".

Marcel Massini

 

Really sorry for the driver and his family. If there’s any solace for his family at least he left this world doing something that he enjoyed and not confined to a hospital bed. Personally I’d rather go that way.

 

Agree. I too am really sorry for the driver and his family.

The SWB has six carbs (not important).

 

Sad. I wonder if he was wearing seat and shoulder belts? From the look of the steering wheel, perhaps he was not.

 

Very sad... tragic. Condolences to family. But this raises a lot of issues. I always take pause before I take one of my children in any of my classics. The safety of these cars are literally light years behind modern cars. I believe NHTSA did a video of a 30% offset test of a 59 chevy bel air and a 09 malibu. I wasn't even expecting the sheer destruction that the modern car inflicted on a much heavier piece of mass but it is worth a watch if you plan on driving these cars.
The issues that I see and worry about are:
1. it doesn't appear there are any belts involed
2. it doesn't look like it was that hard of a hit (yes there is some serious metal damage and frame damage) but the door opened fine..in a modern car this appears to be completely survivable.
3. it (like mine) is an ancient machine... did a 50 plus year old piece of metal fail
4. non collapsable columns and non laminated (assuming) glass are problematic
5. could it have been a medical issue and this crash was survivable in this car? (will most likely never know)
Again these are amazing cars that need to be and deserve to be on the road and driven with the intention of how they were designed.... but I always think about the cargo in the car and its value compared to the value of the cars... and after all they are just cars and can be rebuilt.
My 2 cents in a world where pennies are irrelevant
please be safe out there

 

Not sure for everyone, but I think people go they way they wish. And if this man's wish was to move to the next world in this manner, he had his last wish.

 

Now you'll understand one thing.

A car is still a car, and they can kill.

Never take them as works of art, they have nothing to do with art.

Ferrari is a luxury brand and that's all.

Always sad to see someone die in this condition.

 

Very sad. It says the SWD strayed off the road. I wonder if the owner had a heart attack or lost consciousness.

 

a friend of ours died recently in a legends car on a track, he was 78 yo, had on 4 way belts,Hans device, 2015 Snell helmet and , track had rubber tire lined walls an was a quite slow 1/8 mile oval, it wasn't clear but I think given the circumstances he had a heart attack before crash , above accident sounds similar

 

Tht's what I thought too, he must have had a heart attack or something like that which made his swerve off the road. The crash itself looks "survivable" although as others have stated, looks can deceive.

 

Like Denny Hulme and many others throughout motorsports history, the heart pumps very fast in a car on track or on the road in spirited driving and if you are a bit vulnerable health wise it can bite you.

RIP Mein Herr

 

Given the age of the driver my immediate reaction was a heart attack or something similar, although it can happen to anyone of any age.

The pics look almost like he drove straight off the road instead of following the turn, and drove straight into a tree. No belts visible, and the look of the steering wheel and windshield would seem to confirm that there were no belts to stop him from being thrown forward. The trauma from hitting that steering wheel must have been substantial. I'd be interested to find out if there were any seat belts used. Hard to think there were, and if this wasn't a heart attack, but just a driver or mechanical error, speaking abstractly seat belts seem like they could have saved the driver in a crash like this.

I'm sorry for the gentleman's family and friends, but speaking for myself - living 78 years, and getting to spend the last moments of my life driving such a wonderful car that was undoubtedly loved and treasured seems like it would be the best possible way to go. I hope that was the case for this man.

 

I was told that the owner/driver was very sick.

 

Good points all.
I suspect the (crash causal) heart attack theory will turn out to be true.
Nevertheless, the accident would certainly have been survivable for a healthy driver wearing a belt.
Concours judges accept them, there really is no excuse for not adopting them.
Even if you decide not to use a seat belt think of the “significant other” often sat beside you.

RIP to our German colleague who died indulging his passion.

In the earthly realm of probate 3961 GT will doubtless be back with us soon.

 

it is always sad to see someone die, if in this condition or other condition
but when I remember my grandma laying nearly 8 years in bed and needed help for all - and then died - then better die like this german gentleman
he may R.I.P.