Who, Where, When? Thankyou.

Going through my pictures I found this one...

Did he survive? And my initial question of who, where and when...

Also anymore pictures?

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"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL

It's Martin Donnelly, in 1990 Spanish GP during qualify session I think... Fortunately he survived

What he said

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/18/2006 10:28AM by Peat.

it was the grandprix weekend friday practise if i remember.

2 broken legs a broken next lots of other damage.

He was lucky to be alive was touch and go.

With just eight minutes remaining in Friday's official qualifying session a terrible hush fell over the pitlane at Jerez. The red flag was being shown. There had been a huge accident involving Martin Donnelly's Lotus.

Behind the paddock, at the first of the two high-speed right-handers, Donnelly was lying, like a tangled rag-doll, in the middle of the track.

The Ulsterman's Lotus-Lamborghini had crashed head-on into the barriers at around 140mph. No other car had been involved and all indications pointed to a serious mechanical failure.

The car had hit the slightly curving metal barriers between two supporting posts and the barriers had bent back, absorbing the impact and hurling the wreckage back onto the track.

Such was the impact that the front of the car had disintegrated and lay scattered across the track.

The rear end had been torn off just behind the driver. It had been launched five or six feet into the air and, with the fuel tank ruptured, there had been a brief flash fire. The rear of the car came to rest 20 metres from the point of impact, while Donnelly, the remains of his seat still strapped to his back, was another 20 metres up the track.

Pierluigi Martini was the first on the scene, stopping his Minardi across the track, to protect the prone driver as much as he could.

The FISA Formula 1 medical delegate, Professor Sid Watkins, arrived at the accident scene in the emergency car within a couple of minutes and work began to stabilise the seriously injured driver.

Martin was transported by ambulance to the circuit medical centre where an initial diagnosis was carried out.

"He had an accident in which he suffered head and leg injuries," reported Prof Watkins. "He has concussion, but he's talking. He's fractured his left leg below the knee and possibly his right leg below the knee. He's also broken his right collar bone. His vital signs are good, his blood pressure is good and his breathing is good. He's in very good shape considering the speed of the accident."

An hour after the accident, Donnelly was flown by helicopter to the neurological unit at Seville's Virgen de Rocio Hospital, 50 miles from the track where more thorough tests were carried out. These revealed that his left leg was broken above and below the knee and he had suffered a broken right leg. He had also suffered a broken left cheek bone. A brain scan revealed no major damage to his skull.

Donnelly underwent surgery on his legs during Friday night and was placed on a respirator when he had breathing dificulties caused by bruising to his right lung.

The accident shocked the F1 paddock with its ferocity and many people could simply not believe that Martin could have survived such an accident.

"I'm staggered that he survived," said Lotus technical director Frank Dernie. "I don't know how. I'm amazed that anyone can survive an accident at that speed and at that angle."

Lotus team mate Derek Warwick, who wa one of the first on the scene of the accident, was similarly shocked.

"Nothing can save you with a crash like that," he said. "It's the most unbelieveable escape. God must have been smiling on him. I've spoken to him and the first thing he told me was 'I'm in agony'. My recent accident may have looked spectacular but it was nothing compared to what Martin has been through."

Later, after a detailed study of the wrecakge, Dernie gave further details of what had Happened.

"Martin's survival from such a high-speed, head-on impact means that FISA's saftey measures built into the construction of current Grand Prix cars seems to have saved him from further serious injury.

"In absorbing the massive energy of the impact, the composite monocoque was fragmented. With any other kind of material used for the monocoque, Martin would probably not have survived."

FISA inspected both the accident scene and the wreckage of the car and began a full investigation to try to pinpoint the exact cause of the accident.

Whatever the final outcome of the investigations, there was no doubt that Donnelly had had a miraculous escape.






LS's Tip of the week
ESSENTIAL OILS aren't essential unless you're an engine, a gearbox or a twat



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/18/2006 10:03AM by LS..

ouch

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Wow, he was incedibly fortunate.

the crash re-arranged his legs, but yeah, he survived. I think he is still involved in Motorsport, but not as a driver.

IIRC the crash affected Senna, in that it shook him up.

Laters,

Montana_UK

i think if i remember senna was one of the drivers that ran round to see if there was anything he could do to help, along with warrick.

more info on him here:

[www.skyscraperpicture.com]

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RIP Jules, never to be forgotten. #KeepFightingMichael

I've uploaded a short movie about Martin and it has some footage of the aftermath.
[www.megaupload.com]

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I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy

the crash was never caught on video

Still a damn sexy looking car.

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REHAB IS FOR QUITTERS

montana_uk Wrote:
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> the crash re-arranged his legs, but yeah, he
> survived. I think he is still involved in
> Motorsport, but not as a driver.

"Donnelly has since managed to race in smaller club events, and manage a Formula Vauxhall team." (wikipedia.com)
I have a feeling he's still driving in some classes over here. Either that or giving 'expert opinion' for any broadcasters mad enough to show Irish motorsport.




Nico bites yer tyres!

Cheers for the clip Zaz.

The car's sexier when it's all in one piece, admittedly.

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K*bots UK, specialist providers of 'fun science' Curriculum Enhancement days for Primary and Secondary schools in Britain.
Please find us on [en.wikipedia.org] for more information.

Derek Warwick had a huge accident himself in the Lotus that year at Monza. Coming out of the parabolica he crashed at very high speed against the guard rail ending up sliding on the track upside down with cars passing by flat out, miraculously not only was he uninjured but he ran back to the pits and took part in the restart.

warwick had some well bad crashes canada 1988 i think it was.

so many people had worse crashes than senna yet he died shows if your time is up its up



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2006 01:11AM by marcl.

I agree with marcl, but but that's not up to us to judge, so the safety of drivers, marshalls and the people that are watching is the most important thing.

<Edited>Btw, thanks for the video!!!<\Edited>

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Rocker




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2006 03:25AM by rocker.

Thanks for the info

That is horrific

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"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL