An eight-car crash on the Nurburgring Nordschleife on Sunday sent one
driver to the hospital with serious injuries, claimed a rented Corvette Z06 and
put one of the new BMW M3 "ring taxis" out of commission. It also caused more
than $130,000 in property damage.
According to police, the accident occurred at around 2:00 pm local time on the
circuit's tricky Bergwerk ("mine") section as three cars were slowing for a
construction zone. A fourth driver, from the UK, stood on the brakes but
couldn't prevent a collision with one of the vehicles ahead. He subsequently
slid onto the grass and then back onto the track some 164 feet (50 meters)
ahead. It was there where he crashed into the other two vehicles.
Three other drivers saw the crash and slowed their cars. An eighth car, the ring
taxi, crashed into one of the slowing cars, hit another car and came to a stop
at the left of the track.
Police say the drivers were from several European countries. A sticker on the
Corvette, apparently listing Swedish luxury rental agency Platinum Cars,
suggests its rental status. The accident occurred near the site of Niki Lauda's
fiery crash during the 1976 German Grand Prix.
One driver was taken to a hospital in Koblenz with serious injuries. Two other
drivers were treated on the scene. All of the cars except one were substantially
damaged and were not drivable. Police are still investigating, but cite
"excessive speed" as the cause.
The video below has been taken by a driver not involved in the accident. The pileup is at 9:50 and if you'll look closely at the 10:30 mark you'll see the BMW M3 Ring Taxi as it comes in hot and collides with a few cars.