The Le Mans Disaster remains the deadliest crash in motorsports history. During the 1955 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 83 people were killed when Pierre Levegh crashed his Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR into a spectator area on Circuit de la Sarthe's main straight.
The 1955 Le Mans disaster was a major crash that occurred on 11 June 1955 during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, Sarthe, France. Large pieces of debris flew into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Levegh, and injuring around 120 more.
