NEAR FATAL CASH AT LeMANS 2006 HELP
Discussion
Hi everyone. I was in a near fatal crash in my Hayabusa powered Chesil Speedster by the Houx Annex at LeMans in 2006. It was believed at the time that the driver of the french car was a woman. The police report says it was her husband. I believe I've been stitched up by her or the police. If any of you guys were there or know anyone, please contribute to my posting about it at www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=51... I've had a couple of PH members confirm she was at the wheel already. Appreciate any help. Thanks in advance. Steve.
Hi Simon, before I go on, I would first like to say that I remember the incident well (although I didn't see it) , and seeing your wife or a female friend's reaction first hand, I for one thought the worst at the time...... I was unbelievably pleased to read a week or so ago an update to hear you being on the mend and indeed seemingly returned from the dead. I have also been to Le Mans for many many years and been part of some pretty 'mad' things around Houx Annexe including 55metre flagpoles, Sunday fireworks, roundabout antics, etc. etc.
From what I understand you think you were doing around 80mph along a road with a sub 25mph speed limit... How do you think you were stitched up?
As I say, I am sincerely relieved and pleased to hear you and your driver are OK but do you really think you have any reason to be pursuing this.... You were putting your own lives at risk... the Picasso driver probably didn't see you coming, be it the women or the man...
I hope this comes across how I wish, I am truly relieved to hear all is Ok, but glamorising it on PH and asking for assistance in a futile quest seems somewhat odd... Leave it behind, as mentioned on the Le Mans thread, your life is THE most important thing....
From what I understand you think you were doing around 80mph along a road with a sub 25mph speed limit... How do you think you were stitched up?
As I say, I am sincerely relieved and pleased to hear you and your driver are OK but do you really think you have any reason to be pursuing this.... You were putting your own lives at risk... the Picasso driver probably didn't see you coming, be it the women or the man...
I hope this comes across how I wish, I am truly relieved to hear all is Ok, but glamorising it on PH and asking for assistance in a futile quest seems somewhat odd... Leave it behind, as mentioned on the Le Mans thread, your life is THE most important thing....
Mark B said:
Hi Simon, before I go on, I would first like to say that I remember the incident well (although I didn't see it) , and seeing your wife or a female friend's reaction first hand, I for one thought the worst at the time...... I was unbelievably pleased to read a week or so ago an update to hear you being on the mend and indeed seemingly returned from the dead. I have also been to Le Mans for many many years and been part of some pretty 'mad' things around Houx Annexe including 55metre flagpoles, Sunday fireworks, roundabout antics, etc. etc.
From what I understand you think you were doing around 80mph along a road with a sub 25mph speed limit... How do you think you were stitched up?
As I say, I am sincerely relieved and pleased to hear you and your driver are OK but do you really think you have any reason to be pursuing this.... You were putting your own lives at risk... the Picasso driver probably didn't see you coming, be it the women or the man...
I hope this comes across how I wish, I am truly relieved to hear all is Ok, but glamorising it on PH and asking for assistance in a futile quest seems somewhat odd... Leave it behind, as mentioned on the Le Mans thread, your life is THE most important thing....
I think the main reason I'm persuing this is to put the matter to bed mentally more than anything else. I was not driving my car and had no control over the speed or situation. As I said before, the speed was unknown. The hospital staff suggested it was 80. However, I assume whatever the speed, it was too fast for that road. I also realise I'm partly responsible because my mate was driving the car with my blessing and I wrongly assumed his full comp would cover him 3rd party. As did he.From what I understand you think you were doing around 80mph along a road with a sub 25mph speed limit... How do you think you were stitched up?
As I say, I am sincerely relieved and pleased to hear you and your driver are OK but do you really think you have any reason to be pursuing this.... You were putting your own lives at risk... the Picasso driver probably didn't see you coming, be it the women or the man...
I hope this comes across how I wish, I am truly relieved to hear all is Ok, but glamorising it on PH and asking for assistance in a futile quest seems somewhat odd... Leave it behind, as mentioned on the Le Mans thread, your life is THE most important thing....
I have no memory of the incident from 2 hours prior to it happening, so getting this info helps me come to terms with it. In fact I lost 5 years memory for quite a while. However, I do believe there's more than one guilty person. My mate is guilty, I am guilty for allowing it, but what about the French? It appears the woman was driving and not the husband as per the police report. Why lie? If she was pissed(they had been to a wedding)then surely she too is guilty? She has been paid, by me, to lie. Is this acceptable?
Having said all this, I do understand your view and it is improbable that I will pursue the case. I think it is an excercise in coming to terms. Very difficult to explain until you live through it. Thanks.
Gad-Westy said:
I didn't see it but saw the aftermath. I'm pretty sure some of friends saw what happened. Will get in touch with them. Good luck with it all.
Thanks, any information helps me accept what happened. Its been quite surreal. Sometimes I wonder whether it really did happen, but my hip keeps reminding me! I have no memory of this, only what I'm told.
So your friend was driving at approx 80 MPH in a 25 MPH limit with no insurance ? Presumably the Picasso occupants were innocent locals on their way home , not people pratting about at the LeMan festivites . Im glad you both survived but more importantly im glad the other people are still alive and didnt have children in their car . I hope they can forget about the incident as much as you wish you could .
tricky 100 said:
So your friend was driving at approx 80 MPH in a 25 MPH limit with no insurance ? Presumably the Picasso occupants were innocent locals on their way home , not people pratting about at the LeMan festivites . Im glad you both survived but more importantly im glad the other people are still alive and didnt have children in their car . I hope they can forget about the incident as much as you wish you could .
Thankyou for your comments and your viewpoint. I too, have a child and can see things from a broad perspective. Oddly, I too have a Picasso! I'm aware things do get out of hand at LeMans and had already recieved a smashed headlight and bodywork damage that weekend when some drunk Brits IN a shopping trolley ran it down the road into me. I also had been around the Houx roundabout, oblivious to what goes on there and was totally blinded by a prat with a water canon. I literally just stopped because I didn't know whether I was facing the pavement or the road.We were not pratting about, but I do believe we were travelling too fast. As I said, I had no control over this. I notice you drive a Lotus and I would be very surpised if you had never booted it occassionally when you shouldn't have. I've been on the road for 23 years, have never had a claim against me and picked up 3 points once 10 years ago for doing 81 on the M20. I am not a bad driver, but this time I wasn't driving. My mate is guilty, so am I for wrongly assuming his insurance covered him 3rd party.(please check your own policy, most people I've spoken to have never heard of a full comp policy NOT auotmatically giving you 3rd party). I too would be concerned for the French couple if witnesses hadn't come forward and confirmed the woman was driving, where the police report says her husband was. If she was drunk or driving with no insurance, then surely, she too needs to take some responsibility?
I'm sure you have better things to do than get in a debate with me about this, so would understand if you do not reply. But the more viewpoints I read and consider, the more open minded I can be and the easier it will be to put it to bed. Cheers
Natually i have driven most of my cars above speed limits at some point (Lotus now sold) but with 3 children i am very aware of my and their mortality when considering mine and other peoples driving .When i see people racing along my 30 limit road where lots of children live it makes my blood boil, they often probably have kids aswell and would feel the same outside their home , yet still we all do it in other peoples back yard.
It must of been a very good friend of yours to allow him to drive your pride and joy , so would he not respect your wishes if you asked him to slow down ?
Were the witnesses who saw the driver , British ? if so maybe they saw the driver get out of the right hand side of the car and assumed he was the driver , forgetting a foreign vehicle is left hand drive ? just a thought.
It must of been a very good friend of yours to allow him to drive your pride and joy , so would he not respect your wishes if you asked him to slow down ?
Were the witnesses who saw the driver , British ? if so maybe they saw the driver get out of the right hand side of the car and assumed he was the driver , forgetting a foreign vehicle is left hand drive ? just a thought.
tricky 100 said:
Natually i have driven most of my cars above speed limits at some point (Lotus now sold) but with 3 children i am very aware of my and their mortality when considering mine and other peoples driving .When i see people racing along my 30 limit road where lots of children live it makes my blood boil, they often probably have kids aswell and would feel the same outside their home , yet still we all do it in other peoples back yard.
It must of been a very good friend of yours to allow him to drive your pride and joy , so would he not respect your wishes if you asked him to slow down ?
Were the witnesses who saw the driver , British ? if so maybe they saw the driver get out of the right hand side of the car and assumed he was the driver , forgetting a foreign vehicle is left hand drive ? just a thought.
Its a thought I'd had myself and yes I am just as hypocritical when it comes to traffic passing my own door. I truly do drive carefully myself through built up areas and near schools etc. But freely admit I've done some stupid things in the past.It must of been a very good friend of yours to allow him to drive your pride and joy , so would he not respect your wishes if you asked him to slow down ?
Were the witnesses who saw the driver , British ? if so maybe they saw the driver get out of the right hand side of the car and assumed he was the driver , forgetting a foreign vehicle is left hand drive ? just a thought.
The friend works for me and is insured on my work vehicles so trust wasn't a problem. However, I suppose I knew he would spank it because he was listening for the slipping clutch. The reality is that this is a harsh lesson learned by me and I hope, others. The thing that grinds most though, is I wasn't the driver of either car, yet picked up the brunt of injuries and the financial loss. Who knows whats around the corner in life and how others can affect you? I'm not a self righteous person and know my place. If I had any memory of it, this discussion would not be taking place.
Ok Boys, time to end the debate. Thankyou for your comments and views, for and against. It was important for me to consider other peoples take on it. I'm not looking for sympathy or blame. I carry a certain amount of guilt, my mate carries much more. We will never know about the French, though I personally do believe she was driving and has got away with it. There are people with many more problems than me. As the French say 'C'est la vie'.
bernhund said:
Ok Boys, time to end the debate. Thankyou for your comments and views, for and against. It was important for me to consider other peoples take on it. I'm not looking for sympathy or blame. I carry a certain amount of guilt, my mate carries much more. We will never know about the French, though I personally do believe she was driving and has got away with it. There are people with many more problems than me. As the French say 'C'est la vie'.
Got away with what - being driven into by a couple of brits driving at over 3 times the legal speed limit?I am sorry, but if you want to drive at excessive speed, you have to allow for situations where other will not be expecting you to be there.
Ok, so this is being put to bed & I've no desire to disrespect person who started this thread's wishes. I would just like to say that I've seldom seen a more eloquent poster than him & I'm almost sure I've not seen 1 with a better grasp on this type of situation than he has or a mature, considered way of dealing with the replies he's been given here.
To the question in hand - yes the French police have to deal with far too many ärseholes driving British plated cars around Le Mans but it's morally indefensible for the same police to vent thier frustrations about this by making what may well be false claims about who was driving a car that was involved in an accident.
If anybody out there really did see this & can recall enough to be of any use I urge them to get in contact with the thread owner.
NB - I've not bothered to go to Le Mans for nearly 10 years now - mainly 'cos the place is full of ärseholes driving like ärseholes.
However even ärseholes have rights.
To the question in hand - yes the French police have to deal with far too many ärseholes driving British plated cars around Le Mans but it's morally indefensible for the same police to vent thier frustrations about this by making what may well be false claims about who was driving a car that was involved in an accident.
If anybody out there really did see this & can recall enough to be of any use I urge them to get in contact with the thread owner.
NB - I've not bothered to go to Le Mans for nearly 10 years now - mainly 'cos the place is full of ärseholes driving like ärseholes.
However even ärseholes have rights.
german tony said:
Ok, so this is being put to bed & I've no desire to disrespect person who started this thread's wishes. I would just like to say that I've seldom seen a more eloquent poster than him & I'm almost sure I've not seen 1 with a better grasp on this type of situation than he has or a mature, considered way of dealing with the replies he's been given here.
To the question in hand - yes the French police have to deal with far too many ärseholes driving British plated cars around Le Mans but it's morally indefensible for the same police to vent thier frustrations about this by making what may well be false claims about who was driving a car that was involved in an accident.
If anybody out there really did see this & can recall enough to be of any use I urge them to get in contact with the thread owner.
NB - I've not bothered to go to Le Mans for nearly 10 years now - mainly 'cos the place is full of ärseholes driving like ärseholes.
However even ärseholes have rights.
Thankyou Tony, I hope everyone else out there have detected I'm carrying a certain amount of guilt here and I was merely the passenger in my own car for probably less than 3 minutes. My driver has had counselling because of his guilt. 3 times the speed limit? I just can't believe it, don't forget this is a guess by a nurse. My guess, perhaps 50mph. The more info I get the more improbable that was the speed. It was a fibreglass kit car built on a 69 Beetle chassis. My mate only got 6 stitches in his elbow. Maybe Volvo should take a lesson on how to build a strong car from a 1940s design. To the question in hand - yes the French police have to deal with far too many ärseholes driving British plated cars around Le Mans but it's morally indefensible for the same police to vent thier frustrations about this by making what may well be false claims about who was driving a car that was involved in an accident.
If anybody out there really did see this & can recall enough to be of any use I urge them to get in contact with the thread owner.
NB - I've not bothered to go to Le Mans for nearly 10 years now - mainly 'cos the place is full of ärseholes driving like ärseholes.
However even ärseholes have rights.
And you are right, the a
holes are getting out of control and perhaps that day my mate was one of them. But please remember, he wasn't out there showing off or pratting about. He was trying to help solve the slipping clutch problem.Thanks for your time.
bernhund said:
But please remember, he wasn't out there showing off or pratting about. He was trying to help solve the slipping clutch problem.
The N138 (aka Mulsanne Straight) about 300yds away might have been a better place to test. That bit of straight alongside Houx Annexe where you tested is tempting and clear sighted though. I've blatted up there myself more than once but have always been well down to "pace d'escargot" by that corner...Had to wonder why the locals don't avoid that roundabout when I saw a door opened and a local soaked. They then lifted the boot and did it again.......
Sorry to hear of your troubles - you're mate will be judged by a higher source than an internet forum....... lets just hope its fair on real evidence. Quit responding to anything not useful if I was you.......
Good luck
Sorry to hear of your troubles - you're mate will be judged by a higher source than an internet forum....... lets just hope its fair on real evidence. Quit responding to anything not useful if I was you.......
Good luck
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