A 66-year-old Formula One racing driver has died after a multi-car collision at the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers in Germany.
The Guardian reports that Juha Miettinen was involved in a collision that involved seven different drivers. Race control immediately stopped the competition following the serious incident, and emergency vehicles arrived on scene soon after to assist.
They were unable to save Miettinen, who was removed from the vehicle and passed away at a local medical center after unsuccessful resuscitation attempts.
Miettinen was a Finnish amateur racer who had planned to take part in two qualifying races at Nürburgring.
Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen spoke about the accident in an Instagram Stories post, writing, “Shocked by what’s happened today. Motorsport is something we all love, but in times like this it is a reminder of how dangerous it can be. Sending my heartfelt condolences to Juha’s family and loved ones.”
The other six drivers involved in the accident were taken to a medical center with non-life-threatening injuries.
The scheduled race is set to resume at 1 p.m. local time on Apr. 19, and there will be a minute of silence in Miettinen’s honor.