On June 11,1955 the "Le Mans Disaster" occurred during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans,France.Large pieces of debris flew into the crowd,killing 83 spectators and driver Pierre Levegh,while injuring nearly 200 more.It was the most catastrophic crash in motorsport history and it prompted Mercedes-Benz to retire from motor racing until 1987. Levegh's car skipped over a protective wall after he swerved to miss a car. There was much debate over blame,but the official inquiry held none of the drivers specifically responsible and criticized the layout of the 30-year-old track, which had not been designed for cars of this speed.
Despite expectations for the race to be red-flagged and stopped entirely,race officials,led by race director Charles Faroux,kept the race running.
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