At 8.40pm approx we had a simply huge accident when Peter Dumbreck in his Mercedes CLR (also driven by Christophe Bouchet and Nick Heidfield) flipped and took off. Everybody had worried about just this happening and sadly it did. The car flipped at least 30 feet in the air and then crashed high into the trees and as it rolled it landed on its wheels. The marshalls were stunned and not unnaturally took a moment to react. It was a big one . Immediately the Mercedes Team closed the #6 pit garage doors, this is a traditional way of withdrawing the #6 car. The accident happened midway between Mulsanne and Indianapolis, luckily this in an area where there were no spectators and trees had been felled a fortnight earlier. Aerial shots show that the car came to rest about 10-15 metres away from the track having flown around a couple of hundred yards before crashing into the trees . It didn't look as if the car rolled. While all this was going on the #2 Toyota is back in its garage, everybody was expecting it, the engine cover is off and they are changing the discs. There are two safety cars out on the circuit out while they sort out this major incident several cars have seized the chance to go to the pits. At 21:09 hrs our information is that Peter Dumbreck is, amazingly, not seriously injured and will of course be shipped off to Hospital for a check up. He may have been saved serious injury since the car fell through the trees and landed on its wheels and possibly rolled several times. He got himself out of the wreck whilst dazed, bruised bu otherwise undamaged. The general feeling amongst the media here at the circuit is that Mercedes should have withdrawn their cars and this was an accident that should never have been allowed to happen. After 10pm, Peter Dumbreck has been checked over in the medical unit and is bruised but otherwise OK. Mercedes are about to hold a press conference. Then Peter Dumbreck has been taken to hospital for a complete checkup.

• published: 03 Jan 2009
• views: 554126